Part of the Pack
by Princess Aziza
Summary: She was supposed to be the smart one, the one who kept them out of trouble. So why did she let Scott and Stiles talk her into going out in the middle of the night to look for a body? Now, she has to figure out how to help Scott manage and hide his new werewolf identity and figure out who the Alpha is before he kills someone else. At least Derek Hale's around to help her.
1. Midnight Stroll

**So, recently I got into Teen Wolf. Yeah, I know. Bad idea. But then I started reading all these Derek/OC fics, and I felt the need to try my hand at one. A lot of Derek/OC fics have Scott's or Stiles's sister or a best friend who's in their grade falling in love with Derek the moment they meet, or at least falling in lust with him. I'm trying a different take on things. Not that I don't love those (Nothing Like My Novels by tracylay and Love on a Full Moon by RealHuntress18 come to mind), I just thought I'd try something new. **

**Heads up: This story isn't going to have Crystal (the OC) falling in love with Derek in three chapters, or even in the first season. I have something much more interesting planned. **

**Everybody got it? Cool. Disclaimer as usual, and I'm going to let you start reading now.**

* * *

_Smoke filled the bathroom as Crystal shoved open the door with one arm, the other supporting her friend. She kicked the door shut behind her and helped her friend sit against the wall. Cora started wheezing. Crystal frantically searched the small room, trying to find something that would help. Thick blue towels hanging on the rack were soaked in water and stuffed underneath the door. Cora leaned over the trashcan and her body heaved. Crystal grimaced but rubbed the younger girl's shoulders gently. With her heart pounding in her ears, she was mostly able to block out the horrific screams of the others. Her friends was dying, her family, and she was stuck in a bathroom. Crystal took off her brand new jacket and wrapped it around the other girl's mouth and nose like a bandana, deciding to use her own shirt to block out the smoke. _

_A mournful, heart wrenching, agonized howl filled the air. Crystal's heart stopped. She knew who that sound belonged to, but never before had she heard it filled with so much pain._

When Crystal Braddock finally woke up, her vision was blurry. She pulled herself into a sitting position with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her face rested on her knees. She looked out the window and saw the waxing gibbous moon shining in the air. The full moon was this week. Crystal shook her head. It didn't matter anymore.

Something thumped outside. Crystal froze, wondering if it was Scott McCall. But no, Scott wouldn't be sneaking around outside his own house. She stealthily moved next to her window, years of practice keeping her from making much noise. A blue Jeep sat in the driveway. Crystal sighed in relief. It was only Stiles Stilinski. But what was her foster brother's best friend doing out here at midnight?

She slipped on her flats and headed for the stairs. Scott was at the door already with a baseball bat. Crystal smirked, debating on whether or not to tell Scott that she knew who it was. She threw the idea out the window. She needed some entertainment tonight. She tiptoed down the stairs, glad Scott had left the door open. This allowed her to hear Scott and Stiles's girly screams.

"Stiles!" Scott finally cried. "What are you doing here?"

"You weren't answering your phone," Stiles said, as if it were a perfectly reasonable explanation for sneaking around someone's house in the middle of the night. Crystal opened the door wider. Stiles was hanging by his legs upside down. How did he even get there, and what was holding him up?

"My dad got a call. Two joggers found a body."

Crystal raised her eyebrows. A body in the middle of the woods, in Beacon Hills? Yeah, she could see why Stiles would rush over to tell Scott. Rarely did anything important happen in Beacon Hills.

Stiles finally noticed her. "Hey, Crystal." He waved and dropped to the ground, landing on his stomach. He rose. "You hear?"

"I heard."

Scott lowered the bat, processing what Stiles had told him. "A dead body?"

Stiles rolled his eyes while Crystal wondered how her friend had ever made it to high school. "No, a body of water," Stiles said sarcastically. "Yes, dumbass, a dead body!"

"Like murdered?" Scott continued.

Stiles shrugged. "No one knows. They just said a girl maybe in her twenties. Dad's got all of Beacon Hills PD and even State Troopers out there."

Crystal frowned. "What for? Surely your dad can handle one body?"

Stiles grinned. "That's the best part. They only found _half_." Crystal and Scott gaped. "Wanna help me look?"

Crystal blinked. Something was seriously wrong with Stiles. There was something wrong with Scott, too, since it didn't take long for Stiles to sway him. Scott might have been reluctant, but he agreed in the end. They both looked at her.

"Oh, no. You're not dragging me into your stupid schemes. I'm supposed to make sure you stay _out_ of trouble."

"Which is exactly why you need to come," Stiles argued. "Just think of everything that could go wrong without you."

"And it would serve you right, you moron." Crystal made the mistake of glancing over at Scott. He was biting his lip and silently pleading her with his eyes. "No." Stiles went to stand right next to Scott, pouting slightly. "No!"

* * *

"How did I let myself get dragged into this?" Crystal sighed. She was nineteen years old, for crying out loud. She should know better than to let the boys drag her out in the middle of the night so they could look for half a dead body. If they got caught, she would probably be in more trouble than them.

"Because you love us," Stiles suggested.

Crystal rolled her eyes. "If we get caught, I will make your life a living hell." She fell back, barely paying attention to Stiles and Scott talk about lacrosse.

"Just out of curiosity," she heard Scott ask. "Which half of the body are we looking for?"

"Huh. Didn't think of that."

Crystal groaned and rushed to catch up with them, getting leaves and twigs in her flats. She really should have changed shoes. "And if whoever or whatever killed her is still out here?"

Stiles laughed nervously. "Didn't think of that, either."

"You have _got _to be _kidding me_," Crystal nearly screeched. Stiles motioned at her to be quiet.

"Nice to know you planned this with your usual attention to detail," Scott panted. They started up a hill, and Scott began to fall behind. Stiles didn't even notice. Crystal waited for Scott to take a breath from his inhaler before taking off after Stiles. Just as she got over the hill, she saw flashlights and heard dogs barking. Immediately she dropped next to Stiles, pulling Scott down with them when he reached them. Stiles pointed the flashlight into the ground. The police seemed to have found something; at least, they were all heading in the same direction. Stiles got the brilliant idea to head straight for them, probably thinking that if he stayed far enough away then he wouldn't get caught. Scott took off after him. Crystal groaned but followed, picking up the abandoned flashlight and turning it off. The last thing she needed was the sheriff finding her. She kept a safe distance, able to hear but not right behind the two teenagers.

"Stiles!" she heard Scott call. Suddenly, a dog barked and somebody crashed to the ground. Stiles really didn't know the meaning of the word stealthy. Crystal pushed herself against a tree trunk and wondered which would be worse; being found by the cops or staying out here. She strained her ears to hear what was going on.

"This delinquent belongs to me," Sheriff Stilinski sighed. "Do you listen to all my calls?"

"Only the interesting ones," Stiles replied innocently.

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

"Scott. I assume you dragged him out here with you?"

_You know what happens when you assume,_ Crystal thought irreverently.

"Nope. No, Scott's not here. He wanted to get a good night's sleep for tomorrow, and Crystal hates when we drag her with us."

Crystal pursed her lips. The sheriff hadn't even mentioned her; Stiles really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut. She could practically _see_ John Stilinski roll his eyes in exasperation.

"Crystal? Scott?" Crystal pressed her back against the bark; she was not going to get in trouble for Stiles, she was _not_ going to get in trouble for Stiles, she was _not going to get in trouble for Stiles_….

Neither Scott nor Crystal moved, and the sheriff wound up dragging Stiles back to his Jeep. A few minutes later, Scott coughed close by. Crystal stepped out from behind the tree right in front of him, causing him to jump and cry out.

"Shut up!" she hissed. Scott glared lightly at her, which fazed her not at all. "Come on. We've got to walk home now."

Crystal headed in the direction of the road, doubting much had changed in the past six years. She used to love these woods; she would play hide and seek in them almost every day. She didn't realize until much later that her friends only let her find them when they got bored of hiding or when they wanted to scare her. Crystal shoved the memories aside as something moved in the woods. She turned around, clicking on the flashlight.

"Scott?" she whispered. Something growled, sending a shiver up her spine. That sound was familiar, but that wasn't possible. There were no wolves, either ordinary or were, in these woods anymore. There hadn't been for a long time.

"Here," Scott replied. He was standing about ten feet away. Suddenly, a herd of deer burst out of the trees, heading straight for Scott. Crystal could only watch in horror and hope her foster brother didn't wind up a pancake. The stampede ended quickly and she rushed over to make sure Scott was all right.

"I'm fine," Scott told her. "I dropped my inhaler, though."

Crystal huffed in relief and irritation. "All right, we'll split up. The stupid thing couldn't have gotten too far." She took the flashlight and headed in one direction, while Scott headed in another. Soon there was a yell and the sound of leaves crunching. Crystal spun toward the sound, shining her light on Scott as he rolled to the ground not far below her. He looked up at her, terrified. She slid down the hill and landed next to him.

"What?"

"I—I found—" Scott couldn't even finish the sentence, because Crystal heard the growl again. Scott heard it, too. They faced the sound and saw a giant black…Crystal could only say it resembled something out of a horror movie. From what she could see, it wasn't ugly, but it was big and hairy and had huge teeth and walked on all fours and _those eyes_.

She hadn't seen blood red eyes for six years.

"Scott," she breathed, racking her brain. "Don't run. If you run, it—"

The werewolf didn't even wait for them to try; it immediately rushed her. She fell back, but it broadsided her, sending her flying through the air. The leaves mostly broke her fall, thankfully, and she rolled over, coming face to face with a familiar stump. Scott screamed again, this time in pain. Crystal staggered up, trying to catch her breath. Damn, that wolf hit hard. She knew that things could have been a lot worse, and had a strong suspicion that the werewolf had actually gone easy on her.

"Crystal?" Scott called shakily. She had lost the flashlight, but she could see well enough in the moonlight. She went over and took Scott's hand gently.

"Come on. We have to get out of here."

They hurried through the woods and suddenly they hit the road. An SUV swerved around them, causing them both to flinch back. When they were alone again, Crystal watched Scott pull up his shirt and look at something. Crystal moved to get a closer look and bit her lip. If she was right and Scott had been bitten by a werewolf, then she would have to rely on her limited knowledge and Google to help him. She really hoped she was wrong.

A wolf howled.

* * *

The next morning Crystal pulled into the school parking lot next to Jackson Whittemore. Scott dove out of the car, intent on finding Stiles. He nearly ran into Jackson. The jock snapped at him and purposefully knocked into Scott with his shoulder.

"It's not even eight o' clock. I can't deal with this," she sighed, twisting a tawny curl around her finger. She loved her curls. They weren't super tight, but they weren't completely loose either. Laura once told her that her curls were called Botticelli curls. She collected her backpack and was halfway up the sidewalk when Stiles called her name. She saw him and Scott standing near the stairs and went to join them.

"Crystal, are there wolves in California?" Stiles asked.

Crystal shrugged uncomfortably. "Wolves haven't been in California for over fifty years." She slightly stressed the word _wolves_, but she doubted the boys noticed.

"But I heard a wolf last night," Scott insisted. He turned to her. "You heard it, didn't you?"

"I don't know, Scott," Crystal said.

"But—"

"I _don't know_, Scott!" she snapped. Scott and Stiles shrunk back. Crystal rarely got angry. Upset, frequently. Annoyed, several times a day. But when someone crossed a line or pushed her over the edge, Crystal got downright vicious. The boys realized they were pushing her dangerously close to the edge, so Scott hurriedly changed the subject.

"All right, Stiles. Guess you won't believe me about the body."

Stiles gaped. "Dude! You found it?"

"So that's what you were freaking out about," Crystal said, and the two sophomores were pleased to note that her anger had dissipated.

"Yeah," Scott said. "I'm gonna have nightmares for at least a month."

Just then, Lydia Martin walked by, and soon the conversation changed to more appropriate topics. Crystal separated from the other two, choosing to hide in the library until the bell rang. She made it to history and grabbed a seat in the middle of the class.

Before she knew it, Crystal was at lunch. She headed for an empty table where she knew a loner named Boyd usually sat. He was quiet, so he wouldn't bother her while she worked.

Crystal had just sat down when Stiles and Scott appeared.

"We didn't get to talk to you earlier in Chemistry," Stiles began, sprawling in the seat next to her. Chemistry was the only class Crystal had with them.

Crystal sighed. "Not now, guys. I'll talk to you later."

"Meet us after lacrosse practice. We're going to look for Scott's inhaler."

Crystal waved in his direction and pulled her books out of her bag. She was halfway through a math worksheet when Boyd slid in his seat.

"Hi, Boyd," she greeted him distractedly, trying to figure out some theorem or another when he pointed at the very first problem.

"You did that one wrong."

Crystal groaned, thumping her head on the table. She just wanted the day to be over already.

* * *

"It was amazing! He was doing these really cool leaps and somersaults and everything. He caught every single ball the team threw at him, too." They walked through the woods as Stiles gave her a run down on everything that happened while she was in chorus practice. Crystal yawned. She really didn't care about lacrosse. Sure, she went to the games, but that was when someone forced her to go. Usually that someone was Danny; sometimes it was Melissa McCall, and even Stiles and Scott on occasion.

"It was like I had all the time in the world to catch it," Scott said giddily. "It's weird. I'm also able to smell things."

Crystal bit her lip, wondering how she could handle this.

"Like what?" Stiles asked, oblivious to her distress.

"Like the mint mojito gum in your pocket," Scott said. Stiles stuck his hand in his pockets and pulled out a piece of gum. He looked at Scott, amazed.

"This all started with the bite?"

Scott nodded, suddenly looking worried. "What if it's an infection? Like, my body's filled with adrenaline before going into shock or something?"

"I've actually heard of something like this before. It's called lycanthropy."

Scott turned to Stiles, who looked deadly serious. "Is it deadly? How bad is it?"

"Oh, it's not bad at all. In fact, you only get symptoms once a month." Stiles's mouth twitched, but Crystal knew he hit the target right on the nose. Stiles nudged her, and she automatically flashed him a slight smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Scott didn't realize that Stiles was pulling his leg, and he got even more worried.

"The night of the full moon." Stiles threw back his head and did a poor imitation of a wolf howl.

Crystal shook her head. "Can we just find Scott's inhaler and go home? I have homework, and Scott has to get to the vet's soon."

"You sure it was around here?" Stiles asked. Scott hunched over and began looking for the inhaler. Crystal looked around and froze as her gaze met a pair of green eyes several shades lighter than hers.

"Positive," Scott told Stiles.

"Maybe the killer found it," Stiles joked. Scott didn't find it funny.

"I hope not. That thing's, like, eighty bucks. Mom'll kill me if I lose it."

Stiles scoffed and turned toward Crystal. When he saw who Crystal was locked in a staring contest with, he stood up straight and hit Scott hard on the arm.

"What?" Scott looked in the same direction and jerked upright.

"What are you doing here?" Derek Hale snapped, finally breaking eye contact with her. Crystal hadn't seen him in ages. He was taller and broader than she remembered, but then they had both grown. His eye and hair color seemed to be the only familiar things about him. "This is private property." In other words, they were on Hale land. From what Crystal remembered, the Hales had owned several acres around their house. She wondered if Derek had been the wolf from last night but almost immediately threw the thought away. So who was it?

"Sorry, man," Stiles apologized immediately. "We were looking for something."

Derek pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it toward Scott. Crystal didn't have to look to know it was Scott's inhaler. She blinked and Derek was gone.

"Dude! That was Derek Hale!" Stiles exclaimed. Crystal turned back to them. Scott was looking in amazement at his inhaler, and Stiles looked both excited and frightened. "Remember? He's only a few years older than us."

"Six years older," Crystal corrected automatically. "He was sixteen."

Scott and Stiles fell silent. They both knew what she was talking about—she was one of two survivors of the Hale fire. Nobody brought it up around her if they were smart. It had taken her a year for the panic attacks and nightmares to stop plaguing her endlessly. She had eventually gotten over the panic attacks. The nightmares were another story.

"What's he doing back in town?" Scott asked eventually.

Crystal shrugged, but she had an idea. "Maybe he got tired of running." Maybe he was hunting. "Let's go. Scott, you have work."

The three of them headed back to Crystal's blue Lexus. She saw no sense in wasting gas, so she told Stiles to ride with them. They piled in and Crystal glanced out her mirrors on the off chance that anybody was around. A flash of black caught her eye, and she looked again. Derek Hale was leaning against a tree some distance behind them. She glanced to make sure she was the only one who noticed.

"Hang on. I need to check something." She popped the trunk and hopped out. She raised the trunk so it was blocking the boys' vision, then she faced Derek.

_We need to talk_, she signed. _ASAP. _Derek nodded. Crystal shut the trunk and got back in the car.

"What was that about?" Stiles asked.

"I told you, I had to check something."

Crystal dropped Stiles off at the school for his Jeep and headed for the vet's office.

"I'll be back at ten," she called out the window. She didn't wait for a reply but drove in the direction of the hospital. When she got to the long term ward, she signed in and headed down the hallway. A redheaded nurse glared at her.

"You have five minutes."

Crystal rolled her eyes. The nurse had been taking care of Peter Hale for the last four years, and in all the time Crystal visited she had never seen the nurse smile once. Recently, the nurse tried to ban her from seeing Peter. Bitch was lucky Melissa was there to play peacemaker, otherwise Crystal might have been arrested for assault. She braced herself for the familiar pain and opened the door. Peter stared blankly at the wall. There it was—the pain that filled her when she realized he wasn't _her_ Peter anymore.

"Hey, Peter," she whispered. She moved in front of him and touched the good side of his face gently. "Sorry I can't stay long. I don't think your nurse likes me." She smiled slightly, wondering what Peter would say. Probably 'she doesn't like anyone' or 'it's because of your _charming_ personality, Crystal'.

"I have a wonderful personality, thank you very much," she said playfully. "But last time I was here, she tried to keep me away from you. There was a lot of shouting involved. I don't know if you heard. Melissa told her I had visitor's clearance whenever I wanted. She's amazing. Beautiful, too. You'd love her." Peter always had an eye for pretty things. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Derek's back in town. I haven't seen Laura, though. I need to ask Derek about that. There's an Alpha around, too. It bit Scott last night, but he's all right." She sat down on the bed, resting her head in her hands. "I wish you were here."

* * *

Derek had to be hunting. That was the only reason for him not showing up that night, or the next night, or the night after that. Stiles told her that the coroner found wolf hair on the body. Scott was over the moon (no pun intended) about making first line and getting the new girl, Allison, to go with him to Lydia's party. On Friday night. The night of the full moon. And to make things worse, she didn't find out about the party until Thursday. After school she immediately took off for the preserve, leaving Scott to hitch a ride with Stiles.

"Derek!" she called when she was far enough that she couldn't see the road. She waited, but Derek didn't show up. If she were Derek, where would she be? Crystal froze. No. He wouldn't go back there.

Her feet moved as she thought it over. It made sense. It was his only link to Beacon Hills besides his uncle. It held memories, both good and bad. And technically, it was his house. But to go back to where your entire family died? Crystal hadn't been back since that night, and she kind of didn't want to. But if that was where Derek was, and finding Derek was the only way to talk, then she would have to go.

"Crystal Braddock."

Crystal blinked, seeing that her feet had followed a familiar path and she was now standing right in front of the burned shell that used to be the Hale house. Derek stood on the porch, arms crossed and looking intimidating.

"Derek Hale. I thought I told you we needed to talk as soon as possible." She raised her eyebrows, doing her best to block out the memories flooding her brain. He nodded. "That was three days ago."

"I was busy."

"That's it? You do know that Scott's a werewolf, right? And that tomorrow night's the full moon?" Derek nodded. Crystal threw her hands in the air. "So what's more important than helping a bitten werewolf who has no idea what's happened to him?"

It was Derek's turn to raise his eyebrows. "Maybe the fact that there's an Alpha lurking around, or that my sister is dead."

Crystal stopped breathing. "No. She can't be dead." If it was true, then that meant Derek was all alone. An Omega. Peter told her what happened to Omegas, wolves without a pack.

"Well, she is," he snapped. "I found half of her."

Crystal's brain processed that statement, and she gagged. "Oh my God. When we were out here the other night…we were looking for _Laura?_"

He nodded once. Crystal's legs gave out, and she fell to her knees. "They found wolf hair on her. Did the Alpha kill her?"

"Maybe, or maybe the hunters planted it." Derek finally moved, pulling her up and holding her in place until she could stand on her own again. "Better?"

"Yeah. Thanks." She shook her head in amazement. "So we have _two_ werewolves running around town?"

Derek nodded again. "You have to tell Scott. If you don't he'll hurt somebody or get hurt himself."

Crystal looked at him as if he were crazy. "You want me to tell my foster brother that he's a werewolf? He'll never believe me! Why can't you do it?"

"He trusts you."

Crystal groaned pathetically. "If I can get him to talk to you, can you explain?"

"If you can convince him to trust me, I can _help_ him. But it's still up to you to convince him about everything."

Crystal sighed and nodded, looking at the ground. "I'll try."

"Do or do not. There is no try."

Crystal's gaze flew up to Derek's unsmiling face. She laughed. "Yoda, seriously? You're quoting _Star Wars_?" He rolled his eyes. "Okay, give me your number. I am not going to trek out here every time I have to talk to you."

Derek rattled off his cell number faster than Crystal could type it in. "Hang on! I don't have super speed. I can't do things in the blink of an eye." He repeated it, slowly this time, and she nodded. "Got it. I'll call you later." She headed for the trail, but turned around. "And Derek? Try not to scare Scott too much."

"No promises."

* * *

**Hope you liked it. Drop a comment, ask a question. Just please, no flames. None of us like them, Peter especially. **


	2. Parties and Plans

**What's this? An update less than 24 hours after I posted the story? Shocking, especially if you've followed me before. But I've had this written and I couldn't wait any longer. **

**Thank you to everyone who's faved, followed, and reviewed. Disclaimer, etc. **

* * *

Crystal sat on her bed, a wooden box in front of her. She kept moving to open it but pulling back before she could touch it. Finally she pulled the lid up and dumped the contents on her bed before she could stop herself. The first thing she picked up was a steel dog whistle. Obligated to get her something, Derek had given it to her one Christmas as a joke. She remembered blowing it and being confused when it made no sound but half of the room flinched. Peter and Cora, who were sitting right next to her, had covered their ears. Derek had flinched too, but he had laughed and pulled out his earplugs, causing Cora to pick up a pillow and whack him on the head several times.

That was when she had no idea werewolves existed. Before the fire, before everything went to hell.

She collected the scattered pictures next, smiling at the images. One was of her, Cora, Laura, and Derek. Luckily, they were all looking away from the camera so their eyes didn't distort the image. The next was of Crystal asleep with her head on Peter's chest, his arm curled protectively around her. Peter had been asleep too, otherwise there was no was this picture would have even been taken, let alone printed.

"_Crystal, are you sure this is okay?" Cora whispered softly, but fourteen year old Derek could still hear everything they were saying. Crystal was eleven and only knew that most of the Hales had very good hearing. She quickly motioned for Cora to hush. The older kids had been warned against watching scary movies with the younger kids in the room, so when Crystal and Cora heard the Jaws theme playing, they decided to sneak in. They moved forward as softly as they could and crouched on the side of the couch, lying flat so they could see the screen. Derek shook his head but ignored the two. Peter was in a chair close by and had a clear view of the girls. If Peter wasn't going to do anything about it, than neither was Derek. _

_The girls were so focused on the movie that they didn't notice Laura slip into the room. Derek heard another heartbeat and glanced behind him but didn't see anything, so he ignored it. Just as the music reached its crescendo, Laura tickled the back of Crystal's neck. Crystal screamed, which caused Cora to scream, which made Derek jump and yelp. The girls scrambled onto the couch and clung to Derek. Peter lifted a camera from his lap and snapped a photo for blackmail purposes. Talia and Jessica, Crystal's mother, rushed into the room. Jessica flipped on the lights and went to comfort the girls as Talia dragged Laura, Peter, and Derek out for a talk about letting children watch horror movies right before bed._

_That night, Cora fell asleep next to Derek in his bed and Crystal sat in Peter's room, tightening her arms around Peter like he was her personal teddy bear._

Crystal set the pictures aside, ignoring the rest, and ran her fingers over the most important thing from the box: a necklace. The silver pendant was a little bigger than a dollar coin and the width of her pinky. It was hollow and had two barely noticeable horizontal slits at the top, with a slightly wider slit at the bottom. Engraved on the front was a woman with her hair braided over her left shoulder. Her right hand sat on the shoulder of a wolf. The wolf stood partially in front of the woman. Two slightly smaller wolves sat on the woman's other side, and two wolf pups lay between the two groups. The smaller wolf pup had slightly bared teeth. They all were looking out, as if in warning. The growling wolf pup and one of the smaller wolves had topaz chips for eyes. The second wolf pup's eyes and the bigger wolf's eyes were sapphire, while the last wolf had ruby eyes.

She clicked the clasp into place around her neck for the first time since she moved in with the McCalls. The weight immediately made her feel better, and she put her pictures and the dog whistle and other trinkets back in the box before heading to Scott's room.

"Scott?" she called. There was no response. "Scott, we have to talk. It's important." Still nothing. Crystal thought for a minute. "It's about Allison."

When even that didn't get a response, she opened the door and peeked in. The room was empty. "Damn it," she breathed. She didn't remember him having to work, so he was probably at Stiles's. Crystal decided to wait up for him. She went downstairs and flipped through the channels.

When Scott came home at half past midnight, he found Crystal curled up on the couch asleep. He chuckled and shook her awake. She didn't move. He decided to leave her be, placing a pillow under her head and tossing a blanket over her before going to bed.

* * *

Crystal woke at the sound of footsteps. Scott stood over her, grinning. She smiled at him. "You're home. Look, I need to talk to you."

"It'll have to wait. If you don't hurry up, we're going to be late for school."

"What?" she yelped, looking over at the clock. "Seven thirty? Why didn't you wake me earlier?" She tossed off the blanket, ignoring Scott's answer. "Give me fifteen minutes."

Crystal rushed through her shower, threw on her clothes and her necklace, grabbed a comb, and was back downstairs in record time. "Where's my bag?" she muttered. Scott cleared his throat and held her backpack in her direction. She ripped it from him and gave him the keys instead. "You drive."

Scott's eyes widened, but Crystal didn't let him drive often and he wasn't going to give her a chance to change her mind. He drove them to school while Crystal pulled the comb gently through her still damp curls. Right after they got out, a girl that Crystal didn't recognize waved to Scott. Scott waved back.

"So I finally get a glimpse of Allison." Crystal studied the girl that had her friend and pseudo-brother wrapped around her finger. Her brown curls cascaded over her shoulders. Crystal noticed that the girl had almost white skin, while Crystal's skin was a shade or two darker. She was thinner than Crystal, too.

"Yeah," Scott breathed. Crystal rolled her eyes at his love stricken face, chastising herself for comparing herself to a younger teenager.

"I _cannot_ deal with this today, so I will see you later. Keys." She held her hand out and shook it impatiently when Scott didn't hand them over right away.

"Oh! Sorry." He handed her the keys and followed her up the sidewalk until they reached Allison. Allison smiled brightly at Scott and her eyes slid curiously over to Crystal.

"Allison, this is my sister, Crystal."

Allison turned her smile to Crystal, but it was dimmed down a little. "He didn't mention he had a sister."

"I might as well be; I've been living with him since I was thirteen." Crystal returned her smile and waved at them. "Scott, I have to talk to you later. Don't run off again."

She was halfway to her locker when her phone rang. Glancing down at the screen, she cursed. _Derek._ She ducked into the bathroom and answered it. "Hey," she said brightly.

Too brightly, it seemed, because the first word out of Derek's mouth was a curse. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"Well, I can't exactly talk to someone when they're not home before midnight!"

"Crystal, tonight is the full moon. If you don't tell him, he won't know what's happening." Derek sounded like he was trying very hard not to start chewing her out.

"If I can convince him, we'll be at your place before nine. If I can't, I know where he'll be." Derek was silent, so she continued. "You know the Martin house? Lydia Martin is throwing a back to school party, and he's taking his new girlfriend as a date."

"He's taking his new _human_ girlfriend to a place packed with people on his _first full moon_?" Derek growled into the phone.

"Not if I can help it. I'll call you later."

* * *

There was no lacrosse practice, so Scott had to hang out in the library for an hour until Crystal got out of chorus practice.

"Hey, Stiles called. He wants us to meet him over at his place." Scott slouched in the car seat. "I hope it doesn't take too long; I want to have plenty of time to get ready for the party."

Crystal chuckled. "Careful, Scott, your inner girl is showing."

Scott pulled a face at her but fell silent. She pulled into the driveway a few minutes later, and they headed upstairs. The door was open, so they walked in. Stiles looked up from his papers. Crystal tossed her jacket on the bed. The keys in the pocket jingled.

"Check this out. I've been doing all this reading for the last couple of days, stuff from the Net and books from the library and—"

"Stiles!" Crystal interrupted him, yanking the papers he was waving through the air. She leafed through them and realized they were all about werewolves. Holy crap. Stiles wasn't stupid, but he only ever cared about things that seemed important or interested him. He had been looking up every werewolf legend he could get his hands on.

"Is this about the body?" Scott asked. Stiles and Crystal both shook their heads. Crystal put the papers on the bed and sank down.

"No. They're still questioning people, even Derek Hale, but that's not the point!" He looked Scott in the eye. "You know the joke from the other day?"

"About Scott being a werewolf," Crystal said monotonously. This could either be very easy or go horribly wrong. She really wished Talia were here, or Derek, or even Peter. It was easier to convince someone when they saw you grow claws and fangs.

"It's not a joke anymore, guys."

"I know," she whispered. They both turned to look at her.

"What?" Scott laughed. "This is a joke. Why are you wasting my time with this?"

"Scott, you're faster than you've ever been before. You hear and smell things you shouldn't be able to hear and smell. You haven't noticed that you don't need your inhaler anymore?" Crystal silently begged Scott to believe them. It would make this so much easier.

"Look, this was fun while it lasted, but I've got to go. I need to get ready before I pick up Allison." Scott turned to leave.

"Scott!" they cried. "You can't go," Stiles continued. "Tonight's the full moon."

"I made first line, I've got a date with Allison. Why are you trying to ruin this?" Scott was getting agitated, and Crystal pulled Stiles away from him slightly. Stiles flipped through his papers.

"Look, if you go out tonight you won't just grow fangs and claws," Crystal told Scott softly. He scoffed.

"You're buying this crap?"

Stiles picked up Crystal's thought, ignoring Scott's insult. "It's also when your bloodlust will be at its peak."

Scott's eyebrows rose. "Bloodlust?"

"The urge to kill," Crystal told him. "If you go to the party, you could kill everyone."

"You're cursed, Scott," Stiles finished.

Scott rolled his eyes, fed up with their fantasy story. Stiles picked up his phone. "We have to cancel your date."

"What? No!" Scott tried to get the phone from Stiles. Crystal rose from the bed.

"Scott, Stiles, this isn't helping." They ignored her, fighting over the phone until Scott shoved Stiles up against the wall and held him in place with one hand. Crystal froze. If Scott wasn't careful, he could kill Stiles right in front of her and she wouldn't be able to stop it.

"Scott," she said softly, her heart pounding. "You need to let him go."

Scott lashed out at the nearest inanimate object, which just happened to be Stiles's chair. It toppled backward, and Scott moved in Crystal's direction. She backed toward the wall, giving Scott room. He ignored her, ripping through her jacket pocket until he found the keys. Crystal let out a breath when he slammed the door shut and went to check on Stiles.

"You okay?"

Stiles nodded dazedly, looking at his chair. Crystal cursed. Scott had left three long slashes across the back. She checked her jacket, finding similar but smaller claw marks. "And he took my keys. If he does something to my car, I'm gonna take it out on his hide," she said.

"How did you know?" Stiles was watching her closely. "That Scott was a werewolf. I didn't tell you."

Crystal shrugged. "It's a long story. Let's just say I know more than you think I do."

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that if we don't find a way to help Scott, everyone at that party is in trouble."

* * *

Scott looked at his outfit in the mirror and decided that his clothes were good enough. His mom knocked on the doorframe, and he turned toward her. She smiled.

"You look so handsome. Date?"

"Hopefully."

She chuckled. "I'm off tonight. You need the car?"

Scott held up Crystal's keys. "Crystal let me borrow her car," he lied.

His mom's eyes widened. "You're kidding." Crystal rarely let Scott drive her car, and only once before had he driven without her in it.

Scott chuckled, shaking his head. "I think she wanted to make sure I made a good impression."

"Well, I'm glad Crystal cares about you enough to let you borrow her car. Just make sure not to scratch it, or she'll have your head."

Scott winced, but his mom had already left. Yeah, it was a little too late for that.

* * *

Stiles tapped his fingers anxiously on the steering wheel while Crystal shot off a text to Derek. **He didn't take it well. He's going to the party.**

Derek's reply was instantaneous. **Stay home tonight. I'll take care of him.**

Crystal's gaze narrowed at the screen. **What do you mean by 'take care' of him?**

Derek ignored her question. **Just stay home.**

"Fat chance," Crystal whispered. She knew she could trust Derek, but Scott didn't know him. That meant that Scott didn't trust him, and when two werewolves fought it could get ugly. Even if Scott was able to heal, she didn't want to see him shredded to ribbons.

Stiles looked over at her. "Who are you texting?"

"Someone who'll be able to help," she said vaguely. "Drive."

When they got to Lydia's house, they found Crystal's car and parked next to it. Crystal checked it over quickly and sighed in relief when she didn't see any major damage. She made a mental note to check it in the morning, just in case. She hurried to catch up to Stiles and followed him to the back patio, pushing past what seemed to be the entire student body. Several people she recognized and a couple of her casual friends greeted her curiously. Crystal finally reached the other side and caught a glimpse of Scott. She leaned against a fence and closed her eyes.

"I thought I told you to stay home."

Derek's voice made her jump. Damn, she had forgotten how quietly werewolves could walk.

"I'm not leaving when my friend's in trouble."

"If he wasn't in the woods, he wouldn't be a werewolf right now."

"Too little, too late. Now we just have to deal with it."

A loud bark sounded from right behind them. Crystal jumped and they both turned to look at the dog. It was barking and snapping in Derek's direction. Crystal backed away from the fence and was able to catch a glimpse of his eyes glowing blue. The dog immediately stopped and backed away, whimpering.

Crystal shook her head in amazement. She turned around and saw Scott looking in their direction. "There's Scott."

"I see him." He looked up. "The moon's almost at its peak."

Crystal was too far away to reach Scott, but that didn't stop her from heading in his direction when he doubled over and clutched his head. Scott turned and fled, leaving a bewildered Allison behind. Stiles took off after him a moment later.

"Well, there goes my ride." Crystal approached Allison. "You okay?"

She nodded, looking confused. "Scott just took off."

Crystal nodded. "I saw. Maybe he ate some bad sushi or something." It was a pathetic excuse, and she doubted Allison bought it. "If it makes you feel any better, Stiles ditched me too." Allison shook her head. "Yeah, didn't think so."

"Ladies." Crystal huffed, trying to keep her heart in her chest. Derek had appeared right behind her, barely making a sound. She was getting rusty. Derek smirked at her.

"Derek, this is Allison. Allison, this is my friend Derek." Well, kind of. She had hung out more with Cora and Peter, but she and Derek had mostly been able to get along whenever they spent time together. Crystal couldn't recall a time when they were younger and didn't have their friends or family around. "Derek, you think you could give us a lift?"

Derek nodded. It didn't take long for them to reach his Camaro. Crystal grinned. She didn't know much about cars, but she could appreciate them. Her grin turned into an innocent smile as she held her hand out to Derek. "Can I drive?"

He gave her a look. It was the same look she gave anybody the first time they asked if they could drive her car. It said _there is no way on Earth you are driving this car. I allow very few people to drive it, and as of today you are not one of those people._

She had a second look whenever someone repetitively asked. _What did I tell you the last time you asked? The answer has not changed. If you ask one more time today I will rip something incredibly important off your body with my bare hands._ Crystal would bet her Lexus that Derek had a very similar look. She pouted playfully and slid into the back seat.

Allison slid her jacket off. "You can toss it in back," Derek suggested. She nodded and handed it to Crystal, who put it on the seat next to her. It was quiet. Allison only spoke to give Derek directions. Halfway there, Crystal couldn't stand it anymore.

"So, Allison, how do you feel about Scott?" She leaned forward between the seats to get a good look at Allison's face. The other girl bit her lip and blushed.

"Why do you want to know?" Allison sounded embarrassed.

Derek caught Crystal's eye and jerked his head slightly. She rolled her eyes but sat back, clicking her seatbelt in place. "I'm not a child."

"No, but you're in my car. If you end up flying through the windshield, I'm responsible."

"Keep this up and you'll turn into Stiles's dad," she teased. Derek ignored her. "Anyway, I have every right to ask about her intentions. I have to live with Scott, you know, and he's already floating around with his head in the clouds. If those clouds turn stormy, I'd probably wind up camping in the woods or something."

Allison laughed. "Well, I only met him Monday, but he's sweet."

Crystal grimaced. At least she hadn't said _cute._ "As long as he doesn't start writing sappy love poems about you, I guess you can date him." At the rate Scott was going, that could be any day soon.

"Ooh," Allison teased. "I didn't know I needed your permission. Left here," she added, pointing to a two story house.

"Of course you do. Like I said, I have to live with him."

Derek pulled into the driveway and parked the car. Allison got out. Crystal unbuckled her seatbelt and spotted Allison's jacket. She went to grab it but Derek growled lowly. Their eyes met in the rearview mirror, and Derek gave a subtle but firm shake of his head. She knocked it to the floor, wondering what Derek needed Allison's jacket for.

"Thanks for the ride," Allison said. They both smiled at her and Crystal changed seats as Allison disappeared into her house.

She waited until Derek was on the road again before she spoke. "All right, why do you need her jacket?"

"I need yours, too," he told her. Of course he did. She tugged it off and tossed it in back before an idea struck her.

"You're going to use our scents to bring Scott to you," she said.

"That a problem?" Even if it was, she doubted Derek would care.

She yawned. "You gonna take me home?"

He looked over at her drooping eyelids. "After I get Scott to find me, I'll take you home."

"You can't take me home now?"

"No."

"Fine."

"And this time you need to _stay in the car_."

"No problem." And, in the dark warmth of Derek's car, Crystal fell asleep.

* * *

Derek parked in front of the McCall house and glanced over at a sleeping Crystal. He doubted simply shaking her would work, especially if she was this tired. He looked at the windows. He could carry her through a window. No. He threw that idea out. He was good, but he didn't want to risk dropping her on her head from so far up. Finally, he sighed and got out of the car to examine the windows. He rolled his eyes when he saw one window partially open. It was most likely Scott's. He climbed the wall and landed softly on the bed. He was right; Scott's scent permeated the room, and it looked like a typical teenage boy's room.

He closed the window completely and locked it. He didn't care if Scott suspected someone had been in his room. It was stupid leaving a window half open, even if it was on the second story. He silently made his way down the stairs and to the front door, unlocking and opening it. He went back outside, pulled Crystal out of the car, and carried her to her room. Moonlight glinted off her necklace. He removed it and traced his fingers over the design. It was the werewolves' way of telling visitors that the human was under the protection of their pack. Every emblem was made slightly different to identify which pack member the human was closest to, the werewolf who would be first in line to seek revenge. Crystal had been closest to Peter and Cora, but any one of the pack would have killed or died to protect her.

But Crystal Braddock was more than their friend. She had grown up with them, had become part of the pack. Her necklace was slightly different from the other emblems in one significant way: the woman's hand rested on the first wolf's shoulder. It was proof that she was family, that nobody would be safe if she were hurt. It was a promise that if she were ever changed, it would be because she wanted it. Nobody would force her or try to coerce her. It would be her decision and her decision alone.

He turned the necklace around in his fingers. He paused, examining the slits. "Huh." A disguised wolf whistle. Clever, since someone would have to look closely to find out exactly what it was. He placed the necklace on her bedside table and left the same way he came, locking the door behind him. His mind ran through ideas of how to get Scott to trust him.

At least Crystal was on his side.

* * *

**teresaseda28, I hope that at least one of your questions was partially answered in this chapter. :)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. So Alike

**Disclaimer. The usual.**

* * *

Crystal froze in the deserted hallway, turning to look at Scott and Stiles in amazement. "Are you kidding me?"

Scott shook his head. "He was there last night. Allison's father shot me."

"What were you even doing around hunters, anyway?"

Scott grimaced at her. "Blame Derek. And by the way, what were you doing with him last night? How did he get your jacket?"

Crystal scoffed. "You two ditched me and Allison. What were we supposed to do, walk? If you had just listened to me last night—"

"I don't need a lecture!"

Stiles looked between the two nervously. They were both getting upset, and if they weren't careful, Scott could wolf out. "Hey, guys, I think we should all take a step back."

They ignored her. "You don't need one, but you try to order _me _around? I'm older than you, Scott. I don't have to make excuses and apologize to you when my actions were perfectly harmless."

"Guys!" Stiles physically stepped in between Crystal and Scott. "We don't need a repeat of earlier."

Scott glared at her but stormed out the door.

"Do I even _want_ to know?" Crystal snapped when Scott was out of sight.

Stiles winced. "Probably not, but you should. Scott almost wolfed out on the field and attacked me in the locker room after practice."

"See, _this_ is why he needs to listen to us." She sighed, trying to get rid of all her anger in one breath. It didn't work. "Is he still playing?"

"He's going to try to get out of it."

"Good." Crystal and Stiles walked out to the parking lot. Scott was leaning up against the passenger door with a brooding look on his face. Stiles veered off toward his Jeep, not wanting to stick around for more fireworks. Crystal unlocked the doors, looked down, and stopped.

No. Hell, no. This was not happening.

Claw marks surrounded her door handle, getting deeper as they moved closer to the handle. It looked like Scott's claws had marked her car when he was getting into it last night. That explained why he was such a gentleman this morning, opening her door for her before she could get to it.

"Scott. McCall," she said darkly. "Get over here. _Now._"

Scott reluctantly climbed out of the car, angry and fearful at the same time. When he got close enough, Crystal grabbed him by the arm tightly and pointed at the claw marks.

"I suppose you _were_ going to tell me eventually," she drawled sarcastically. Scott nodded. "Good. Well, now that the cat's out of the bag, can you tell me where exactly the money to fix this is coming from?"

"I'll pay for it," he sighed, wincing internally. Car repairs were expensive.

"You're damn right you are," Crystal nearly yelled before getting into the driver's seat. Scott crawled into the passenger's seat. Neither of them spoke during the entire ride, and when they got home Crystal immediately rushed up to her room, slammed the door, and screamed into her pillow.

A few hours later, someone knocked at her door. Crystal rolled her eyes and yanked the door open. Melissa smiled at her. "Can I come in?"

Crystal shrugged, going back to lie on her bed. "Sure."

"How was chorus practice?"

"It was all right. There's one line that's giving me trouble, but I'll get it."

Melissa nodded and abruptly changed the subject. Crystal was expecting it, but it still sucked. "Scott told me what happened. He feels really bad about it."

Which part, trying to boss her around or not listening to her? "As long as he fixes it, I won't make his life a living hell."

"Yeah, he said he'll pay someone to fix the door." Right. The least important point on the list of things Scott did to make her angry today. It still sucked, but she could get her priorities straight. Melissa switched topics again. "I'm taking next Saturday off to see the lacrosse game. Are you going?"

Not if she could help it. "Maybe." Depended on whether Scott could get out of the game or not.

"All right. Well, this was fun." Melissa paused in the doorway. "Hey, it was an accident. Don't be too mad at Scott, okay?"

Crystal nodded. She was right. Scott didn't ask to be turned into a werewolf or shot at by the hunters. She wanted so badly to blame him for not listening to her, Derek, and Stiles and going to the party anyway. Unfortunately, she recalled Derek doing something similar once.

She groaned and headed down the hall to Scott's room. The door was wide open. Scott looked at her warily but his computer beeped before either of them said anything. Grateful for the distraction, Scott turned to his computer. Crystal plopped on Scott's bed and listened to them talk.

"What'd you find out?" Scott asked.

"Well, Jackson's got a dislocated shoulder."

Scott sighed, glancing at Crystal. She could see the guilt in his eyes. "Because of me?"

"Because he's a tool," Stiles corrected.

"Is he going to be able to play next week?" Crystal asked even though she knew Stiles couldn't see her. She turned her head and jumped at the sight of Derek crawling through the wide open window. He silently moved to stand in the shadows behind Scott.

_A little warning next time,_ she signed quickly.

Meanwhile, Stiles was answering her question. "They don't know yet. As of right now, Scott's our best hope for Saturday." Scott groaned. "Sorry, buddy."

Stiles went silent. That was odd for him, so Crystal hopped off the bed and looked over Scott's shoulder. Stiles was halfway through typing something when the screen froze.

**It looks like**

"What?" Scott muttered. "Looks like what?" Crystal rolled her eyes and started typing her own message as the screen loaded again.

**Someone's behind you.**

Scott slapped her hands out of the way and zoomed in on his screen, revealing Derek in the background. Crystal finished her message. **Bye Stiles, talk to you later.** She sent it and closed the laptop as Scott scrambled out of his chair. Derek grabbed him and shoved him face first into the wall, twisting an arm behind Scott's back.

"Oh, did I mention Derek popped in for a visit?" Crystal asked innocently.

"I saw what you did on the field," Derek growled.

Scott tried to play dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about." He winced as Derek pulled his arm up a little higher.

"Don't break his arm. Scott, playing dumb doesn't win you any points," Crystal said idly, rearranging Scott's chair and getting comfortable.

"Whose side are you on?" Scott cried.

"You nearly lost it in front of most of the team. I'm with Derek on this one."

"If they find out about you, they find out about us." Derek gestured between himself and Crystal. Crystal shot him a confused look, which he ignored. "Then it won't be just hunters after us. It'll be _everyone_."

"They won't find out!" Scott cried.

"Oh, I know they won't. Because if you even think about playing next Saturday, I'll kill you myself." He released Scott and disappeared out the window before Crystal could say anything.

Scott looked at her in disbelief. "You agree with that, too?"

Crystal shot him a look. _Idiot_. "Derek won't kill you." She rose from the chair. "But you'd better find a way to get out of the game." She left, mulling over what Derek meant by "us".

* * *

"Stay away from Allison. And stay away from Crystal."

Derek uncrossed his arms. "Crystal is perfectly safe with me. You don't get it, Scott. I'm looking out for you." _Both of you._ "Crystal knows the basics, but she doesn't know how to help you like I do. If you go out on the field, and you shift in front of everyone, you will lose everything. Your entire life would fall apart around your ears, all because you couldn't miss one stupid lacrosse game."

Scott fumed silently as Derek walked around the house. _Well? _Crystal signed impatiently. _What did he want?_

_He wanted me to stay away from you._

_And yet he's the one taking all the risks. _Crystal rolled her eyes.

_Someone's going to get hurt._

_I'll find a way to stop him._

Derek scoffed. Scott was a teenage boy, and teenage boys never took orders very well especially from their older sisters. "That's what you said last time. How did that work out?"

Crystal reached out and punched him roughly on the shoulder as she walked by. He barely felt it. "Fine, you know-it-all, what's your bright idea?"

Derek shrugged. "Rip his throat out. Beat him to a pulp."

"_No_," Crystal said firmly. "We still have a couple of days. You can either help me with homework, or you can tell me what the whole 'us' thing the other night."

"You mean when I climbed in through the window and threatened Scott?"

She nodded. "Yeah. And, side note, he _really_ needs to start locking that thing."

Derek agreed. "You're part of the Hale pack." He gestured to her necklace that she wore every day since the party. They stopped in front of Laura's grave. "You're easier to kill." His throat tightened at the memories of his family, the ones that were human, and he choked the next words out. "If people found out about werewolves, they would go after you first. I would do everything in my power to protect you, but eventually something would happen." She would die just like Laura.

"Someone would slip through the cracks, and I'd be dead," Crystal whispered, glancing at the grave. Tears snaked down her cheeks.

"Which is why we can't take that chance," he told her firmly.

She wiped the tears away, looking determined. "All right. Is there anything I can do that would keep him down for a few hours?"

"Wolfsbane always works," he said heavily. "But more than likely it would either kill him or agitate him."

She shivered. "No thanks. Next?"

"You could always trap him in a circle of mountain ash, but I don't know where we'd find any on such short notice."

Crystal sighed. "Things would be so much easier if Scott can just find a way out of playing."

* * *

The phone rang Saturday morning. Crystal grumbled but answered it. "What?"

"You need to get to the Hale house." Scott didn't wait for a reply before he hung up. She looked at the phone dumbly before cursing.

"This had better be important." She tossed on the first outfit she found, tied her hair into a ponytail, and grabbed her keys to her newly repaired car. She pulled up to the Hale house in time to see Sheriff Stilinski cuffing Derek.

Crystal watched in outrage for a moment. Derek met her eyes and looked deliberately to her left. Scott and Stiles stood in front of the Jeep. They were purposefully ignoring her. She would deal with them later.

"Sheriff," she called. "Why are you arresting Derek Hale?"

Sheriff Stilinski looked over his shoulder at her. "It's an ongoing investigation, Crystal. You know I can't tell you anything."

Crystal waited until Derek was in the police car and the sheriff's back was turned before she ducked in the back next to Derek, keeping her foot in the doorframe so she wouldn't be locked in.

"What did they do?"

"Dug up Laura's body," Derek growled. "The cops arrested me for murder."

Stiles sneaked into car and looked at Derek through the bars. "Just so you know, I'm not scared of you." Derek looked at Stiles. Crystal was glad the look wasn't directed at her; it still gave her the chills. "Okay, maybe a little."

"What about me, Stiles?"

Stiles turned slowly toward Crystal. "What are you doing back there?"

She grinned toothily. "Well, I'm wondering if it's worth going to jail for ripping you and Scott to tiny pieces. What the hell made you think it was a good idea to dig up half a werewolf in the middle of the night when said grave is on another werewolf's land?"

"You knew about that?" Stiles looked at her, appalled. "Did you help him bury her?" He looked between the two of them. "Why did you kill her, anyway?"

"He didn't kill anyone!"

"What makes you think I'm the one you have to worry about?" Derek and Crystal spoke at the same time. Derek continued. "When Scott shifts on the field, what do you think will happen? Will they just ignore the fact that he grew claws and fangs and keep cheering him on?"

"It doesn't work like that, Stiles. And thanks to you, Derek can't keep him from playing. Which means it's up to us." She gestured between the two of them. "Two humans who stand no chance—"

Stiles was yanked from the front seat. Crystal bailed, shutting the door as quietly as possible despite Derek's protest, before turning around and coming up short. She smiled sweetly at Sheriff Stilinski. "Sheriff, what a surprise."

He glared at her, holding Stiles in a death grip. He beckoned her to follow and led them a short distance from the car. Crystal glanced at Derek, who raised his eyebrows. "That's what I was trying to tell you," he mouthed. She winced. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat.

"What the hell were you two doing in the car? And you." He pointed at Crystal. "Why would you do something as stupid as sitting next to a suspected murderer in the back of a cop car?"

"One, _suspected_ is the key word there. Two, I know Derek. And three, I had the door propped open."

"We were just trying to help," Stiles added. Crystal and Sheriff Stilinski both glared at him. He inched away from Crystal.

"He's not a killer, Sheriff," Crystal said, dropping her glare. "I don't care what you found. I grew up around him, and that has to count for something."

"That's what everyone says, Crystal. We found _half a_ _body_ buried in his yard, the same half we were looking for the other night." He looked over to Stiles suspiciously. "How exactly did you come across a buried body again?"

"Well, see, we found it when we were looking for Scott's inhaler."

"Scott lost his inhaler?"

"Yeah, last week."

Crystal was debating whether or not to stay and watch Stiles dig himself into a deeper hole—which would be bad news for her—or sneak away and possibly stay out of trouble. Eh, she was in trouble anyway. She needed this.

"Last week when you were looking for the other half of the body?"

"Yes," Stiles sighed. Crystal snorted.

"When you told me you were alone, and that Scott and Crystal were home?"

"Yes." Stiles's eyes widened. Finally, he got it. "No?"

Crystal patted him on the shoulder. "And this is why I ask how you got so far in life."

"So you lied to me?"

"Depends how you would define lying." Stiles ran a hand over his shaved head.

"Well, I would define it as not telling the truth. How about you?"

Stiles gestured as he spoke. "I would define it as reclining your body in a horizontal position."

His dad shoved Stiles toward the Jeep. "Get out of here."

"Gladly."

Sheriff Stilinski looked at her exasperatedly when Stiles was gone. "You're supposed to keep them out of trouble, not have them drag you into it!"

She bit her lip. "Their excuse was that if I didn't go, something worse could happen. You know what they're like, Sheriff."

He shook his head. "Go."

She took two steps toward her car before she stopped. "Sheriff, can I visit Derek after you process him?"

"We'll see."

* * *

"He's gone."

Crystal stared at her phone in disbelief. "What do you mean, he's gone?"

"Well, we found a rope with wolfsbane on it."

"When you were digging up the body," she finished. She knew about it; she had helped Derek thread the plant into the rope. "Tell me you didn't keep it."

"How was I supposed to know?"

"Damn it, Stiles!" She glared out her windshield at the police station. "How long has he been gone?"

"Not long. I'm driving around looking for him."

"Fine. I'll start by the school, but he's on foot. Make sure to check the roofs, too."

"Okay. I'll call if I find him."

"Same." Crystal hung up and started the car. The boys really needed to start listening to her.

She drove for hours. Finally, her phone rang.

It was Melissa. "Just checking to see if you're coming to the game tonight."

"I'm running an errand right now. If I get done on time, I'll swing by."

"Good. See you then."

"No," Crystal said after she hung up. "It won't be good if I wind up going to the game." Because that would mean she and Stiles hadn't talked Scott out of playing—or worse, they hadn't found him.

Her phone rang again. "Found him," Stiles said immediately. "We're at the school."

"He's playing?"

"Yes, I'm playing," Scott said close by. It sounded like he had pulled the phone away from Stiles. "I want a semi-normal life. Is that too much to ask?"

Crystal growled. Well, she did her best imitation of one. "Scott, you can have a semi-normal life. Said life does not have to revolve around a game and a girl."

"What, you _want_ me to turn into Derek?"

Memories of a cheerful Derek flooded her mind. She closed her eyes. "Being a werewolf didn't change Derek," she said softly. Scott and Stiles were both silent. "Look, forget the game. It's one game."

"Coach says if I don't play, I kiss first line goodbye!"

Stiles spoke. "I'll keep an eye on him. If anything seems to be going wrong, I'll get him out."

"It looks like you'll have to. And I'll be there, too. I just have to make a quick pit stop."

"You're going to see Derek, aren't you?" they asked together.

She hung up on them.

* * *

Stiles looked over at Scott after Crystal hung up on them. "You realize those two are really alike when they wanna be?"

Scott nodded. "It's kind of creepy." He unscrewed his water bottle and took a drink.

Stiles tilted his head. "Just think about what would happen if they started dating." Not that they would be able to, since Derek was a killer and all.

Scott choked, spewing water all over Stiles. Stiles grabbed a towel and patted himself dry while Scott was busy trying to breathe again. "Don't joke about stuff like that," Scott said hoarsely. "Remember how it turned out last time?" He gestured to his face.

Stiles's eyes widened. "I jinxed us. Quick, find me some wood! Salt! Something!"

Coach blew his whistle. "Too late," Scott whispered. "If they wind up dating and I end up dead, I am _so_ haunting your ass!"

* * *

"Greg." Crystal smiled brightly at the officer on duty. "It's good to see you."

Greg, a twenty-something officer, smiled back at her. "Hi, Crystal. What are you doing here? I heard you were going to the lacrosse game."

She shrugged. "As long as I'm there before the game ends, who cares when I arrive?" She leaned forward. "Listen. I need a favor. Can you let me in to see Derek Hale?"

Greg blinked. "The killer?"

Crystal looked at him, trying to raise one eyebrow sardonically. She had no idea if it worked. "_Alleged _killer, and my friend. I would really appreciate it if I could see him for maybe ten minutes."

Greg pursed his lips. "I don't know, Crystal. Usually alleged murderers don't get visitors."

"Usually alleged murderers don't have friends willing to be seen with them." Crystal sighed softly and frowned. She knew Derek would be all right, aside from the fact that the food was probably crap and he was in a cage. But for some reason she just really wanted to see him. Maybe it was because he was her friend's brother, or maybe because he was the only one who could really help Scott. It had to be the latter.

Greg typed something into the computer. "The sheriff cleared you for visits," he told her and led her to the back. She smiled at him when he opened the door for her. "Ten minutes. I'll be up front."

She nodded. He closed the door behind her, and she turned to look at Derek. He was lying on a cot just wide enough for him to fit on. The cell was barely big enough for him to take five steps in any direction, if that. His eyes were closed even though he knew she was here.

"You should be at the game."

Crystal scoffed. "And do what? Call time out when Scott's eyes start glowing?"

Derek finally opened his eyes. He turned his head in her direction and glared. "No, be there to make sure he doesn't turn."

"It might have escaped your notice, but right now Scott's not listening to me." She walked closer to the cell as she spoke until she was almost right up against it. "When the coroner finds out what killed Laura, they'll have to let you go. When they do, you can't kill Stiles."

He raised his eyebrows. "I _can't_?"

She sighed. "Well, you could, but Scott would be pissed and he wouldn't want to be within thirty miles of you, let alone go to you for help." She paused, thinking. "And as annoying as he is, Stiles is a good friend. He's also smart when he wants to be. So I would be upset if you killed him."

Derek growled lowly. She had backed him into a corner. "What makes you think I won't kill Scott instead?"

"We both know you need him as much as he needs you."

He finally got up off the bed. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine." He smirked. "How did you get permission?"

"The sheriff allowed it."

His smirk grew. "Doubtful." He had heard the officer's heartbeat stutter when Crystal walked in.

Crystal narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you saying? You think Greg has a crush on me?" No. Greg was always nice to her, but then he was nice to everybody.

"I don't _think._ I _know._"

"Oh, yeah," she teased. "Because you know everything. What am I thinking right now?" She flashed back to Cora. They had done something similar to this before, only Crystal had been the one with the crush.

Derek watched the playful grin slide off her face and knew. "You're probably thinking about Cora. Maybe Peter, but Cora's more likely." And just like that, the semi-cheerful mood evaporated.

Forest green eyes flecked with gold met light green. "I have to go. I'll see you later."

* * *

"How are we doing?" Crystal asked Allison, leaning around Lydia. Allison was sitting between Lydia and a man with brown hair who she figured was Allison's father, the guy who shot Scott.

"Scott hasn't gotten the ball yet." Allison frowned. Crystal looked out at the field. Damn it. They were behind, and even though Scott was open, nobody was passing him the ball.

"Pass to McCall!" she heard Finstock holler. Crystal virtually ignored everything else, focusing only on Scott. She saw when he started using his wolf powers and was really glad his mask hid his gold eyes. With a little over a minute left, Scott got the ball.

"Come on, Scott," Allison called.

"You're okay," Crystal whispered, unsure if she was talking to herself or Scott. "Just focus. Don't let it get out of control."

Soon it was over, with Scott scoring the winning shot. Crystal sighed in relief. "Thank God." She glanced toward Stiles, but he wasn't on the bench. She got up, pushing past the cheering fans, and found the sheriff and Stiles talking. They looked up when Crystal came over.

"Oh, Crystal." Sheriff Stilinski looked at her and flashed a small smile in her direction. "You should hear this, too. I just got off the phone with the coroner."

"And he proved Derek didn't do it, right?"

When he nodded, she smiled smugly at Stiles. "The coroner determined she was ripped apart by an animal. But that's not all. They I.D.'d the body. It was Laura Hale."

Stiles gaped. Crystal figured she had to look shocked, too, so she mimicked him. "Are you kidding me?"

"I wish I were." The sheriff let out a long breath. "Now I've got to go release Derek."

"I'm coming with you," Crystal said immediately.

He nodded. "I figured you'd say that."

Crystal followed the sheriff while Stiles went to find Scott. When met at the front of the station, Crystal held her hand out for the key. "Can I do it?"

He chuckled slightly but handed the keys over, holding up the one that unlocked Derek's cell. She tossed them in the air and caught them with a grin before leading the way to the back.

Derek was sitting against the bars but rose when they came in. Crystal twirled the keys around her finger with a flourish, then looked at them with wide eyes. "Oops."

The two men shook their heads at her. The sheriff snatched them off her finger and unlocked the cell. "You're free to go," he told Derek. Crystal was grinning like the cat that got the cream.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, crappy food, blah blah blah." Crystal turned on her heel, calling to Derek behind her. "Once you get your stuff back at the desk, we're going for real food. I'm hungry."

"Who's paying?" Sheriff Stilinski asked softly as Greg handed Derek's stuff over.

She glanced at him, a mischievous grin on her face. "Scott. Who else?"

Derek came over and they left. When they got in the car, Derek asked, "How is Scott paying? I doubt we're meeting up with him."

"Look in the glove box."

He flipped it open and pulled out a gray wallet. He chuckled.

"I said he was paying. I never said he'd know about it. So, where to?"

* * *

**Two lessons in this chapter: Never piss Crystal off, and Crystal is always right.**

**I love this chapter, really. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	4. The Driver

**Hey, hi, yo. I could have posted this yesterday, but FF was being lame. It sucked. **

**Thank you to everyone who has viewed, faved, or followed this story. And thank you to Guest who reviewed my last chapter, and the others who reviewed before that. LOVE YOU!**

**Do I even need to tell you that I don't own TW?  
**

* * *

Scott's shout woke her. It was quick, maybe a second or two, but it was enough to wake her and send her flying down the hall. Scott was sitting upright, shaking. He flinched when she turned on the light. "Scott?"

Melissa was right behind her. "You okay, Scott?"

He nodded. "Bad dream. Didn't mean to wake you two."

Melissa went downstairs to get him something to drink. Crystal sat on the bed beside him. "What was it about?"

Scott gazed at her dreadfully. "I dreamed I killed Allison."

Melissa came back into the room with a cup, and Crystal left. She caught a glimpse of the clock and groaned. It was seven in the morning. "No point in trying to go back to bed," she muttered. Instead, she found a deep gray tank top and a black off the shoulder half-top with long sleeves. She added a pair of blue jeans, tan boots, and her necklace to the ensemble. She nodded in approval at her reflection.

Scott knocked on her half-open door. "Ready?"

Crystal nodded. "Let me eat first." They went downstairs and she snagged the last banana from the fruit bowl.

"Have you seen my wallet?" Scott asked as she was driving.

"Glove box," she said absently.

He found his wallet and opened it. "What the hell?" Thankfully they were at a stop light, so Crystal had the privilege of watching him gape like a fish. "Where's my money?"

"There was only, like, fifteen bucks in there. Not enough for Italian for two, just so you know." The light turned green. "Derek and I wound up splitting the rest of the bill."

Scott's brow furrowed, and he glared at her. The problem with having puppy dog eyes was that his glares were pretty pathetic. "You treated Derek Hale to dinner? With _my_ money?"

"You _did _get him thrown in jail," she reminded him. "Be glad that's all we took from you." They reached the school. She hadn't even parked before he bailed. She rolled her eyes.

Scott met up with Stiles near Crystal's locker and proceeded to both tell him that he had a weird dream and complain about Crystal sucking him dry. Crystal slammed her locker door shut. "Oh my God, it's fifteen bucks. I've spent more on you two in one sitting and you don't hear me complaining."

Stiles waved his arms between the two of them. "We'll get back to that later. Right now, I'm more worried about Scott's creepy ass dream."

"Yeah, you never went into details." Stiles and Crystal joined forces, staring Scott down until he gave in.

"I was on a school bus with Allison. We started making out—"

"And I'm done," Crystal interrupted, walking down the hallway.

"It got worse." Scott frowned as he and Stiles caught up to her. "See, after that, my claws grew. Then she was running, and I tore at her legs, and there was screaming and blood everywhere."

"So you killed her?" Stiles asked.

As they kept speaking, Crystal fell back a couple of steps and typed out a text to Derek. **Scott had a weird dream last night. He says it felt real. Thoughts?**

"It's not like there's a Lycans 101 class you can take."

Crystal's ears twitched and she pushed between the two of them. "Class? No. Teacher? Yes." She looked at both of them significantly.

Stiles groaned, but Scott seemed to be thinking about it at least a little. "Maybe. But we did get him tossed in jail."

"And we spent your money on a very nice dinner. Right now, the scales are tipped more evenly. Of course, I could say I told you so…"

"I'd rather you didn't," Scott said immediately.

"You can't be serious. Going to Derek for help?"

"It's just that the dream felt so real, like it actually happened." They pushed the school doors near the bus parking lot wide and froze. Crystal gasped at all the blood and the torn up bus. Her phone beeped with a message from Derek.

**It most likely was. Tell Scott to see me ASAP. **

"Oh, _now _you tell me."

* * *

"Dude, chill. She probably just has her phone off," Stiles reassured him as Scott tore through the halls, looking for Allison. It freaked Crystal out too. If Scott's dream had been real, maybe the part about Allison had also been true.

"Scott," Crystal said firmly. "You need to calm down. When she shows up, you're going to freak her out."

He wasn't listening. He wound up slamming his fists into a locker and mutilating it. Crystal caught a glimpse of curly brown hair and tapped his shoulder. When he finally turned to look at her, she pointed behind him. Stiles breathed a sigh of relief as Scott calmed down. As the anxiety left her, Crystal rolled her eyes.

The principal came on the intercom. "Attention, everyone. As you may be aware, the police are on campus trying to determine exactly what happened on one of the buses last night. While they do so, classes will proceed as scheduled." Half the hall groaned. "I repeat, we will be having classes today."

"There's a murder and we still have to deal with Harris?" Stiles huffed.

"It sucks. But life goes on." The bell rang, and Crystal said goodbye to the others. The next few classes were filled with students debating what happened last night and who the victim was. Finally she sat down in Chemistry and immediately turned to Scott and Stiles.

"Maybe it was my blood," Scott whispered.

"Could have been animal blood," Stiles suggested. "You could have caught a rabbit."

Crystal shook her head in exasperation. That was way too much blood to be from one measly rabbit. Besides, she was ninety-eight percent sure werewolves did not go after rabbits. The other two percent made her want to double check with Derek.

"And did what?"

"Ate it, stupid."

Scott's eyes widened. "_Raw_?"

Crystal resisted the urge to slam her head on the desk. "No, idiot," she hissed loudly.

"You stopped to bake it in a little werewolf oven," Stiles continued in a softer whisper. "Yes, raw."

"Mr. Stilinski," Mr. Harris called across the room. "If you think that qualifies as a whisper, you might want to take the headphones out every once in a while."

Crystal's face twisted into a silent snarl. Harris was a discriminatory teacher who for some reason adored Jackson and Danny (but really, who didn't love Danny?) and was willing to let Crystal herself get away with certain things, which never made sense to her. Stiles, on the other hand, he seemed to hold a special hatred for.

"I think you, McCall, and Ms. Braddock are in need of some space. McCall, by Danny. Stilinski, up front."

She shot the boys a sad smile as they were forced to move. They all knew detentions with Harris were a pain in the ass, and none of them could afford it today.

"Hey, I think they found something."

One sentence was all it took for every student in the room to rush over to the window. Some of them stood on chairs to see over the others. Crystal nudged her way between Danny and Scott. Paramedics were wheeling a man covered in blood and gauze over to the ambulance. Suddenly, the man started flailing and sat straight up. Everyone jumped. Several people screamed, which covered Crystal's yelp. She fisted her hand into the nearest person's shirt.

"Hey, Crystal?" Danny asked. "Think you could let go?"

She released him, ignoring his humored expression.

"I did that," Scott breathed. She turned to him and punched him on the arm. "Ow!" Wimp.

Lunch rolled around. Crystal waved to Boyd when she saw him, but Scott and Stiles had pulled her down as she passed their table and were speaking.

"What makes you think Derek even knows what's going on?" Stiles protested.

Crystal scoffed. "He's a born werewolf, he knows almost everything there is to know. And if he doesn't, he'll find someone who does."

"He is?" they asked together. She nodded. "That explains a lot," Scott mused. "He wasn't out of control like I was."

"Which time, last night or two weeks ago?" Crystal asked.

"Both."

"You don't even know if that _was_ you," Stiles insisted.

"I can't risk it. I have to cancel my date with Allison."

"Wow. A week ago, you were all set for a semi-normal life. Now you want to throw that away?" She rolled her eyes. "Make up your mind."

"I'm gonna cancel."

"He's not cancelling." Stiles spoke over Scott. "We'll figure this out."

"Figure what out?" Lydia asked as she sat down. Pretty soon, her whole clique surrounded the trio.

Crystal rose. "I gotta go." She waved to Allison and Danny and made a beeline for Boyd's table.

"Haven't talked to you in a while. How are things?"

He shrugged. "All right. You?"

"Same. Do you know who they found on the bus today?"

"No. Most likely a bus driver."

She could have slapped herself. "Wow. It's so obvious, why didn't I think of that?"

Boyd chuckled. "I think you've been hanging out with your brother and his friend too long."

Crystal nodded wholeheartedly in agreement, not bothering to correct him. "That's got to be it. Their stupidity is obviously contagious." Her phone beeped. "Hang on."

It was from Stiles. **Vic: Garrison Myers. Critical**

Crystal frowned. "Garrison Myers. I know that name."

"Didn't he used to be an insurance agent or something?" Boyd asked.

Her eyes widened.

_Ms. McCall was arguing with someone outside her window. Crystal tiptoed out of bed and pressed her ear to the wall, hoping to hear something. She wished she had werewolf hearing like Cora and Peter. Maybe she could ask Peter—_

_No. She had to remember that Peter wouldn't be able to talk to her anymore. She stifled a sob. Ms. McCall didn't want to let her see him yet, saying she wanted Crystal to remember them as they _were_ and not as...burned bodies. Well, Crystal filled in the blanks. _

_She still couldn't hear anything, so she crept over to the door and cracked it open just enough that she would be able to hear, but not far enough for it to squeak. _

"—_Garrison Myers isn't going to give that poor girl _anything_?"_

"_I know, but insurance companies don't pay out for stuff like that. Her parents and the Hales left her some money, though." Crystal recognized Mr. Stilinski's voice. She pulled the door open fully.  
_

"_Can you give it to Peter?" _

_Ms. McCall and Mr. Stilinski whirled at the sound of her voice. The thirteen year old looked between the two of them. "Can you give the money to Peter?" she asked again. _

_Mr. Stilinski shrugged. "I don't know, sweetheart."_

"_Don't call me sweetheart," she told him immediately. Only her parents, Talia, Peter, and Mike Hale had called her that. _

"_Sorry." _

"_It's okay." She shook the tears out of her eyes. "Who's Garrison Myers?"_

"_How much did you hear?" Ms. McCall asked in exasperation._

_She smiled slightly, the first smile that touched her face in days. "Just that last bit."_

"_Garrison Myers is an insurance agent. He's deemed the fire an accident."_

_Crystal's eyes flooded with angry tears, and she didn't stop them this time. "But it wasn't an accident! I saw her! She was watching the house burn and she smiled!"_

_Ms. McCall shot a glare at Mr. Stilinski and led Crystal back to her bed like a child. The teenager didn't fight, instead curling up into her pillow and screaming. Ms. McCall rubbed her back like her mom and Talia used to, and even Peter on rare occasions. She just muttered, "She was watching it burn. And she was smiling."_

"Crystal?" Boyd was looking at her worriedly.

"What?" she bit out. "I'm fine."

He handed her a rough napkin and pointed at her face. "You were crying."

Crystal dabbed her face dry. "Just memories. I'm fine."

"The bell's about to ring." Boyd changed the subject. When they got up to go to class, she impulsively hugged him. She pulled back before he could do anything other than stiffen.

"Thanks."

* * *

Crystal tapped impatiently on the steering wheel. "Come on, Scott," she muttered. Finally he came rushing out of the building. As soon as he was strapped in, she pulled out of her parking space.

"I may have done something," Scot began hesitantly.

"What?" she asked warily. "If it has to do with Derek—"

"No, no."

"Good. Besides, we're going to see him after your shift."

"Can I borrow the car t—?"

"No."

"But I—"

"No. Next subject. What are you doing on your date?"

"Well, Lydia kind of turned it into a double date. We're going bowling."

"Bowling?" Crystal's eyes widened. Scott _sucked_ at bowling, if the stories were to be believed.

"Yeah. It was bad." He winced. "But Jackson was there and…"

"Say no more." She pulled to a stop in front of the vet's. "I'll be back at seven."

"See if Mom'll let me borrow the car!" he called as he ducked inside.

She chuckled and passed a patrol car on the way out of the parking lot. She decided to stop and get Melissa some dinner, and after flipping a coin she chose Chinese. When she got to the hospital, she had to duck past people rushing back and forth. Once the chaos died down, Melissa saw her and smiled. Crystal held out the Chinese box.

"It was Scott's idea."

"That's nice of him, and thank _you_ for buying. But you can tell Scott he's still not getting the car tomorrow night."

They laughed. "I'm gonna go see Peter," Crystal told her.

"Good. Jennifer's on break now."

"Jennifer?"

Melissa raised her eyebrows. "His nurse?"

"The redhead who hates me?"

"That's the one."

Crystal smiled. "I'll be sure to avoid her on the way out." The long-term ward was a ghost town compared to the entryway. Crystal knocked on Peter's door out of habit. "Hey, Peter." He was lying in his bed now. She pulled up a chair, grabbed his hand, and brought him up to speed on everything that had happened since she last saw him, from Derek getting arrested to the insurance investigator getting attacked.

"Scott's got to learn to start trusting Derek soon, or he's going to get into more trouble."

Someone knocked softly on the door. She squeezed Peter's hand and let go. "Yes?"

"Time to go, sweetie," Melissa told her. "It's almost seven."

Crystal nodded and left the room. Melissa closed the door behind her. Neither of them saw Peter's pinky twitch.

* * *

"You're not getting the car," were the first words out of Crystal's mouth as Scott got in.

He groaned. "Did you even _try?_"

"I got Chinese and told her it was your idea. If that's not bribery, I don't know what is."

"Can I—" He stopped at her look. Her _ask me again and lose a testicle _look. "How about you drive me and Allison?"

She thought it over as she drove. Scott stayed silent, waiting anxiously for her answer. Once they parked outside of Derek's house, he got his answer. "I'll think about it."

He groaned. They climbed out of the car and waited. Scott looked over at her. "What's he waiting for?"

Crystal never took her eyes away from the upstairs window that used to be and probably still was Derek's bedroom. "Probably an apology. After all, you _did_ unbury his sister and get him arrested, just to be able to play a lacrosse game."

Scott looked at the window and swallowed his pride. "He's home, right?"

"He should be."

"Derek, I'm sorry." Scott blurted it out. The door swung open, and Derek stood in the doorway. Scott continued. "It was a bad idea, getting you arrested. We practically told the hunters that you were in town. But I need your help. I had a dream last night." He looked over at Crystal, who waved her hand in a go on motion. "I dreamed that I hurt someone. I got to school, and it turned out that it did happen, just to a different person."

Derek looked at Crystal. _Good enough for you? _He signed.

_Not bad for a teenage boy._ _Dinner last night helped. _

"What are you guys doing?" Scott asked, watching them move their hands in various patterns. "Is that sign language?"

She nodded.

"You think you're the one who attacked the driver?" Derek finally spoke. Scott looked between the two of them.

She shrugged. "I barely told him anything."

Scott turned back to Derek. "Did you see what I did last night?"

"No."

"Am I going to hurt someone?"

"Yes."

Scott was getting more and more anxious with each monosyllabic answer. "Am I going to kill someone?"

"Probably."

"Why do you think we didn't want you playing Saturday?" Crystal added.

"I can help you remember. I can teach you how to control the shift, even during a full moon. But I want something in return."

"What is it?"

They had to give Scott credit for not jumping into the open ended deal head first. "You'll see. For right now, just go back to the bus. Go inside. Let your senses remember for you. Don't try to force it."

Scott thought it over for a moment. "All right."

"Cool. So, we can go now?" Crystal shot Derek a smile. "Not that I don't enjoy spending time with you, broody face and all, but we need to be going. Homework." Scott groaned, and she glared at him softly. "No complaining. Just because you're a werewolf doesn't mean you can fail your classes."

Scott got into the car, and she followed. He unrolled the window and wondered if it was worth it. Yeah, he had to see for himself. "Random question. Could I borrow your car tomorrow night?"

He didn't have to turn around to know that Crystal was sending him a disbelieving look. Derek's eyebrows raised, and he sent Scott a look that was familiar. _It's my car, you're not going to be driving it or even touching it any time soon_.

"Okay, just wondering."

Crystal waited until they were off the preserve before she reached over to slap Scott's head. "Ow!"

"What on earth possessed you to ask if you could borrow his car?"

"Just something Stiles said."

"And what did Stiles say?"

Scott didn't answer her.

* * *

"Just go in? That's it?" Stiles asked as he parked in front of the fence. Scott nodded.

"Yeah. Oh, and I asked if I could borrow the Camaro."

Stiles's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "What that hell?"

"We were right. They _can_ be scarily similar. You know the look Crystal gets whenever someone asks if they can drive her car?"Stiles nodded. "Well, Derek has one that's nearly identical."

"And you're positive they're not dating?"

"Yeah, pretty sure."

"It's only a matter of time, then. Any chance we could keep them away from each other?"

It was highly doubtful.

* * *

Crystal was awake when Scott burst through the door. "I remembered."

"Good. And?"

"And I was trying to protect the driver, not hurt him. This means I can go out with Allison!"

Crystal chuckled. "And not killing your friends and family is a bonus."

"Stiles said almost the exact same thing."

"That kid is smart when he wants to be."

* * *

Crystal wound up driving Scott to the bowling alley where the others were waiting. Jackson laughed when he saw them. "Wow, McCall, I didn't know you needed a babysitter."

She glared at him. "He doesn't. Nobody drives my car without my explicit permission." She smiled sweetly. "Sorry, Jackson. Is explicit too big of a word for you? I could dumb it down if you like."

Jackson returned her glare. "I know what it means."

"Which word? Explicit or it?"

Allison laughed. "Okay, guys. Go back to your corners. Crystal, thanks for being Scott's ride. We'll come get you when we're done."

Crystal nodded and waved at her and Lydia, and the four of them went up to the counter. Crystal was alone in the back room, so she set up the pool balls and started shooting. After one game, she got bored and texted Derek.

**Bored. Come play pool with me?**

She went to the food stand and ordered some fries and a soda while she waited for him to text back.

**Can't. **

**Why not?**

**Going to hospital then getting my window repaired.**

She gaped at the screen and her fingers hit the call button. He answered on the second ring. She didn't wait for him to speak. "What happened to your window?"

"Argent," he growled.

"How bad?"

"Nothing too bad."

Crystal rolled her eyes but let it go. "What are you going to the hospital for?"

"The driver saw something. I want to know what he saw."

"Let me know if he says anything."

* * *

Stiles's Jeep was parked by the side of their house. "Wonder what he wants," Scott said. Crystal's phone beeped.

**Driver's dead.**

Crystal grimaced. "I think I know." She let Scott get out then floored it to the Hale house to talk to Derek. He opened the door when she pulled up.

"So, he's dead." She sat down cross legged on the porch. "Did he say anything before he died?"

"He knew my name. He said he was sorry." Derek leaned against the doorframe.

Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Did he know your first name, last name or both?"

"Just Hale."

"So he was feeling guilty." She looked up at him. "He was the insurance investigator after the fire. He's the reason we never got compensation."

Derek's eyes narrowed, but they were interrupted by Scott running up the steps. Derek straightened.

"I know what you did!" Scott cried.

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Here we go again," she murmured.

"I didn't do anything," Derek told him.

"You killed him!"

Derek shook his head. "He died."

"Like your sister?"

Crystal sucked in a breath.

"Laura was missing. I came here and found her in pieces."

"I think you killed them both."

"All right, enough!" She rose and punched both of them on the shoulder. Derek raised his eyebrows at her, which she ignored. "Scott, Derek didn't kill anyone. And you didn't kill the bus driver."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I trust both of you. If you two say you didn't kill anyone, I believe you. The bus driver died. That's nobody's fault but the Alpha's."

Scott frowned. "Alpha? You mean there's another werewolf?"

"You and I are Betas. Alphas are more powerful than either of us. My sister came here looking for it and now I am, too. But I don't think I can do it without you." Derek looked at Scott seriously.

"Why me?"

"Because he's the one that bit you. You're part of his pack, Scott, and it's you he wants."

* * *

**:) Thoughts? OH! I saw last night's episode- I don't get MTV, so I had to wait for it online. O MY GOD! I could not believe it. *cross fingers* PLEASE don't be lying, Peter. **


	5. Hunting For A Bullet

**It's me again with another update. :) I hope you enjoy the twist I put on this chapter.**

* * *

"Wake up," Scott hissed, shaking Crystal's shoulder at nearly three in the morning.

She groaned, keeping her eyes firmly shut. "What? Don't tell me you got Derek arrested again."

"No. There's another hunter in town."

"Great. This is definitely important enough to wake me up in the middle of the night. Not." She rolled over and spoke to the wall. "We can talk about it in the morning."

"She was talking to Mr. Argent." Scott ignored her attempts to make him leave. "She said something about forty-eight hours."

Crystal's sleep fogged brain started to clear a little, and she sat up. "What did you say?"

"I said the hunter said somebody had forty-eight hours to live."

"Tell me everything."

"I heard a wolf howl, and I went to check it out. I was around the warehouses when I heard a gunshot. Then Mr. Argent shows up and they start arguing. She told him that she saw two werewolves. Mr. Argent got upset and said something about one leading them to the other. The woman said she can't help him kill either of them if one of them kills her first. Mr. Argent asked how long, and she said forty eight hours tops."

Crystal got a bad feeling in her stomach. "She shot a werewolf?"

He shrugged. "I think so. I didn't see anyone, though."

"We need to call Derek."

* * *

Crystal watched the clock anxiously. She hadn't been able to sleep after Scott told her the news. She had tried getting hold of Derek several times on several different phones throughout the day, but either his phone was dead or he was ignoring everyone. She didn't want to think of a third possibility.

"Braddock," Finstock shouted. "You have somewhere you need to be?"

"Anywhere but here, coach," she said without thinking. Crap, damage control. "No offense to you, but school just isn't agreeing with me today."

Finstock laughed, yelled at her for a bit, and made her summarize the reading from the last two nights. As soon as the bell rang, Crystal was the first one out the door. She raced through the halls, shoving past students and teachers until she reached her car. Her hands were shaking as she tried to unlock her door. It took her too long to fit the key in. She was supposed to drop Scott off at Allison's for a study date—she highly doubted any studying would get done—and then she was free to go find Derek.

Stiles's Jeep was moving slowly in front of her. Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes. Crystal did the same to avoid running into him. Scott had fixed the door not even two weeks ago, she was not going to have more car damage. She saw Stiles get out of his Jeep.

"This can't be good." She parked the car and got out as Scott ran in front of Stiles's Jeep. She rounded the hood and covered her mouth to silence her cry. Derek was on his knees beside Scott. His face was ghostly pale and covered in sweat.

"What are you doing here?" Scott asked.

Derek's gaze locked onto Crystal's. "I was shot."

"You should have called me. Didn't you get any of my calls?" She looked behind her as she heard drivers honking their horns.

Stiles jumped at her sudden appearance. "Why aren't you healing?" he asked.

"I can't heal. Different kind of bullet."

"What, a silver bullet?"

Crystal closed her eyes in horror, not noticing the warm tear falling down her cheek. It was a wolfsbane bullet. "No. Guys, get him in the Jeep. Scott, I'm taking you to Allison's. Find the same kind of bullet he was shot with."

Scott helped Derek into the car. "Why?"

"We have to find out what they used. Maybe there's a cure." She prayed there was a cure. Talia once told her that a handful of wolfsbane plants worked too quickly, killing the victim within minutes. Other types killed agonizingly slowly, and the cures were hard to get.

"Why should I help him?" Scott flinched as Crystal and Derek both looked at him. Derek's eyes were filled with pain, and Crystal's glare was ruined by her tears. Scott hated seeing her cry. "All right. Crystal, I need a ride."

"Way ahead of you." She looked through the window at Stiles. "Drive. I don't care where you go, just drive. I'll call you later." She pulled Scott in the direction of her car. Allison looked at them curiously but got back in her car. Jackson glared at Crystal through his windshield and revved his engine. "You so much as scratch my car, Jackson Whittemore, and I'm going to hang you by your balls off the flagpole!"

She peeled out of the parking lot after Stiles. It didn't take her long to reach the Argent house. "Scott, you have to find that bullet as fast as you can. Derek's dying."

He patted her hand and got out of the car.

"If you don't have it by seven thirty, I'm coming in to get you," she warned before driving off. She punched in Stiles's phone number.

"Crystal?" Derek answered. He sounded awful.

"I just dropped Scott off."

"Good." He was silent for a moment, and she figured Stiles was talking to him. "You can't take me there," he said finally.

"Take you where?"

"Hang on." He put the phone on speaker, and suddenly she heard Stiles.

"—take you to your own house?"

"Not when I can't protect myself," Derek replied.

"And what if Scott can't find your magic bullet, what then?"

"Stiles, Derek, stop. Let me think." She pulled over and parked, rubbing her temples. "Melissa's home, so that's out. Preserve's too close to Derek's house. Parking lots are out; someone's bound to notice eventually. What about your house, Stiles?"

"Oh, yeah, great idea. I'll just lug him up the steps," he replied sarcastically. "I'm not carrying a dying man into my house!"

"I'm not dying yet. There's a last resort," Derek said.

"Scott has nearly four hours to find the bullet." She started the car. "I need you to pick me up at my place."

Stiles grumbled but agreed before he hung up the phone. They got to her house at about the same time. Crystal locked her door and climbed through Stiles's side into the back. She turned to Derek. "Let me see."

Derek pulled back his sleeve. She covered her mouth and nose; the smell of decay filled the Jeep. She could see the through and through wound, and it was red. Really red. Crystal thought she was going to be sick just looking at it.

"Oh my God," Stiles gagged. "Is that contagious? Look, maybe you should just get out."

"I don't think it's contagious," Crystal offered.

"That doesn't help much."

"We need to go." Derek looked at Stiles. "Start the car."

Crystal looked out the window and saw Melissa looking down at the Jeep curiously.

"If you think you can boss me around, especially when you look like crap, you're wrong. In fact, if I wanted to, I'm pretty sure I could drag you out of this car and leave you here."

"How would you explain that to Melissa?" Crystal gestured to Derek's arm. "She would take him to the hospital, which could get ugly for everyone."

"It's already ugly," Stiles retorted.

"Start the car. Or I'm going to rip your throat out with my teeth."

Stiles looked between him and Crystal doubtfully. "She wouldn't let you do that."

"Stiles, please!" Crystal begged. Stiles pursed his lips but started the car. Crystal turned around as they left and saw Melissa in the doorway. She smiled and waved, hoping she didn't look as horrified as she felt. She texted Scott, hoping he found the bullet.

* * *

"It's seven thirty," Crystal muttered, checking her phone for the hundredth time. "What's taking him so long?"

"He's with the Argent girl; I doubt he's thinking about much else," Derek breathed.

Crystal grimaced at the mental image and hit Stiles on the arm.

"What was that for?"

"I heard you two earlier. If I find out he's not looking for the bullet because he's trying to get into her pants, I am going to make sure you can never walk properly again," she threatened uselessly. She should have never left him alone. "I need my car."

Stiles turned around. "No. You can't leave me here with him."

"Stiles, we have to get that bullet. If you don't hear from us by eight, take him to Deaton's. He'll be gone by then. There's a spare key in a box behind the dumpster." She glanced at Derek. He was leaning back against the seat, eyes closed. She was doing her very best to ignore the smell. "Derek." He opened his eyes, turning his head to look at her. She barely recognized him. The Derek she knew was either fun and full of humor or dark and snarky. Words failed her.

He brought his hands up. _Be careful,_ he signed. She nodded.

When she got to the Argent house, she found Scott, Allison, Mr. Argent, and another woman outside. They all turned to look at her as she pulled up. Crystal got a good look at the mystery woman. Her heart stopped beating. Her breath froze in her lungs. No. It couldn't be her. She couldn't be here!

_A woman looked up at the house as it burned around them. Flame light danced across her face, allowing Crystal to get a good look at her. Her hair was a curly brownish-blonde. A pendant hung around her neck, glinting silver. She smiled, and Crystal saw her teeth. Cora coughed beside her, pulling her attention away from the window, but she would always remember the woman who watched the Hale house burn and smiled. _

This woman was the reason her parents and most of her friends were dead. She was the reason Crystal had nightmares and panic attacks and was held back a year. Now, the woman was right in front of her. And Crystal was terrified.

Someone tapped on her window. Crystal nearly jumped out of her skin. She unrolled her window and turned her head toward Scott, never taking her eyes off the other woman.

Scott frowned at her worriedly. "You okay?" he whispered, grasping her hand. She didn't even realize she was shaking. She drew in a deep breath and let it out shakily.

"Do you have it?"

"No."

"Damn it, Scott."

"This place is a virtual gun store, how am I supposed to find one bullet?"

Crystal's fingers reflexively tightened over her necklace. "Fine." She tucked it into her shirt and got out of the car as Mr. Argent walked over. "Hi, Mr. Argent."

"You're Crystal, right?" At her nod, he continued. "Your brother was just about to join us for dinner. Would you like to stay?"

Crystal debated. On one hand, she'd be stuck sitting at a table with the killer of her friends and family and several sharp objects. But if she didn't take that chance, Derek would die.

"That's very kind of you." She smiled. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all," the woman said. "Come in."

"Crystal, this is my sister Kate," Mr. Argent introduced.

"Hi."

And that was how Crystal got stuck sitting between Scott and Mr. Argent at the dinner table. Allison sat on Scott's other side at the end, followed by Mrs. Argent and Kate.

"Would you like something to drink, Scott?" Mrs. Argent asked. The woman seemed friendly, but there was something in her eyes that set Crystal's internal alarms off.

"No, thanks," Scott stuttered. He had a full glass of water right in front of him.

"We could get you some beer," Mr. Argent offered. "Or tequila."

If Crystal drank, she would have taken him up on his offer.

"Dad," Allison groaned. "Really?"

"How about you, Crystal?" Mr. Argent asked.

"Actually, yes." Scott tensed, but Crystal smiled sweetly at Mr. Argent. "Do you have any soda?"

Kate laughed. "She got you there, Chris."

"So neither of you drink?" he asked as Mrs. Argent came back with a cold unopened Coke can. Crystal popped it and took a swig as Scott answered.

"No. We're not old enough."

"Doesn't seem to stop most teenagers."

"It should."

Kate laughed again. "You might just survive the night after all, kid."

"Scott's mom's a nurse. We've visited her at the hospital and seen what happens when any drunk driver gets into an accident," Crystal added. She decided to take some of the pressure off of Scott for now.

"Scott's mom? But I thought you two were siblings?" Mrs. Argent looked between them in confusion.

"Long story." Crystal dug into her food, cursing herself for opening that up for discussion. Her phone rang. Everyone looked at her as she froze. "Oops. Sorry." She peeked at the caller I.D. Stiles. "I'm really sorry. It's Melissa, she's probably wondering where we are. Can I take this?"

"Sure, sure. Go ahead." Mr. Argent dismissed her, turning his attention back to Scott. Crystal ducked outside and answered it.

"Stiles, I'm sorry. I got dragged into a family dinner with Scott."

"He's starting to smell," Stiles complained.

Crystal frowned. "I know. I'll try to hurry dinner along, but I doubt we'll be out for another twenty minutes at least."

"Did Scott find the bullet?" Derek asked.

"No. I haven't had a chance to look around yet; if it's a special bullet, she probably keeps it close to her."

"If you don't find the bullet—"

"I know," she snapped tersely, hanging up before Derek could paint an even more disturbing picture in her mind. When she was close enough, she heard Scott say, "I think I will have that shot of tequila now."

"Scott McCall, you had better be joking," she warned as she walked back in. "I really don't want to have to explain why you have fork marks in your leg."

Scott chuckled. "Yes, I was joking. What did Mom want?"

"She just wanted to make sure we picked up everything we need before we go home."

Dinner was quick and quiet after that. Crystal stretched. "Well, that was wonderful. We should be going."

"You have to stay for dessert," Kate protested. "I want to know more about you both."

She saw no way of getting out of this. "All right." She turned to Mr. Argent. "Where's your bathroom?"

"In the guest bedroom at the end of the hallway."

"Scott, be nice and help them set out dessert." Crystal gave him a significant look when he sent her a look of disbelief.

She closed the door softly behind her and looked around the room. A black bag lay under the bed. She dragged it out, unzipped it, pulled out a black box, and opened it. Holy crap, the woman carried an entire arsenal with her. In the top center there was a smaller wooden box. She picked it up and read the lid. Aconit napél bleu nordique. Off the top of her head she recognized the French word for blue. She could pretty much figure the first word. Aconit, most likely French for aconite, also known as wolfsbane.

She took a picture, flipped it open and counted nine bullets. Eight now. She pulled one out and gaped. The thing was _long_. Who needed a bullet like that, anyway? Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Crystal hurriedly stuffed the bullet in her bra and put everything back the way she found it before going into the bathroom and turning on the faucet. She opened the translate app on her phone and typed in the words.

Nordic blue monkshood.

Crystal sent a text to Stiles. **Got bullet. Nordic blue monkshood. Getting out ASAP. **She turned off the faucet, opened the bathroom door and came face to face with Kate.

"Hi," she said.

Kate grinned at her, teeth showing. To Crystal it looked like she was baring them. "Hi. We were just getting started on dessert."

"Okay."

She led the way out of the room, nervous that she couldn't see what Kate was doing but keeping her ears wide open in exchange.

* * *

"Thanks for everything." Scott was as anxious as Crystal to get out of there, especially after Mr. Argent's story about the rabid "dog". He could smell a hint of wolfsbane under her shirt and knew she found the bullet.

"I'm so sorry," Allison apologized again. "That had to be the most awkward dinner in the history of family dinners-slash-interrogations."

Scott shook his head, smiling at her. It hadn't been her fault. "It wasn't. The worst was when my parents told me over dinner that they were getting a divorce."

Allison winced. "Yeah, I can see how that could be worse." She leaned in to kiss him. Crystal politely turned around. After a blissful moment Crystal cleared her throat, and Allison backed away.

"Before it gets even more awkward, we should go." Crystal's hand was on the doorknob. They were almost home free—

"Hold on," Kate said. Scott mentally groaned. How often would she stop them from leaving? It was like she knew. She looked at Crystal. "What did you take from my bag?"

Crystal blinked innocently, but Scott could hear her heart stutter. Mr. Argent walked in to stand next to Kate and surprisingly came to their rescue, sort of. "What are you talking about?"

"My bag was in the guest room. When I left, it was completely under the bed and when I came back, it was only partially under the bed. Crystal was the only one in there."

Crystal's eyes widened slightly. Scott could practically see her brain working.

"She didn't take anything," Allison told her aunt. Scott glanced at her quickly.

"_Something_ was taken," Kate insisted.

Crystal looked between Scott and Mr. Argent. Before she could open her mouth, Allison pulled something out of her pocket and held it up. "I was the one going through your bags." Scott realized what he was looking at and faced the door. And he thought this night couldn't get any more awkward.

"Okay!" Crystal yanked open the door, snatched the condom from Allison, threw it in Kate's direction, and shoved Scott out the door. "I think we should leave before Scott gets shot or something." She waved at the Argents.

Finally, _finally, _they made it to the car. Crystal handed him the keys with shaking hands. "Oh my God," she gasped when they were out of the driveway. "I thought we'd never get out of there. Now quick, drive to the vet's." She pulled the bullet out of her shirt and clutched it like a lifeline.

Scott grinned suddenly, realizing what the condom meant. Crystal grimaced. "Drive."

It didn't take them long to reach the vet's. Scott took out his key and unlocked the front door, frowning at a buzzing sound.

"What?" Crystal asked.

He pushed the door open. "Stiles?"

"Oh, thank God," Stiles whimpered. Scott's feet moved faster. Crystal moved silently behind him. He gaped at the sight before him. Stiles was holding a bone saw to Derek's arm. Derek's arm was streaked with red veins, and he was paler than a ghost.

"Stiles!" Crystal squealed. "What the hell?"

"You two just saved me years worth of nightmares." Stiles set the saw on the table and leaned forward shakily.

"Did you get it?" Derek asked.

Crystal held up the bullet. "What do we do?"

Before Derek could answer her, he swayed. Scott leaped forward to catch him and laid him on the ground gently.

Crystal racked her brain, hoping to remember if anyone had told her how to deal with a wolfsbane bullet wound. She was drawing a blank. "Derek!" she cried, tapping his face gently. "No, you can't do this." Not after all the trouble they went through.

Scott punched Derek in the face, which jolted him awake. Crystal had a feeling Scott enjoyed it a little. They helped him up and Derek grabbed the bullet from her. "Lighter." She rummaged in the drawers until she found one and handed it to him. He ripped off the tip of the bullet and tapped it on the table. Wolfsbane fell out. He swept it into a pile and lit it on fire. Sparks flew. Blue smoke rose from the ashes that he swept into his hands. He paused for a moment while the others watched worriedly before he rubbed the wolfsbane into his wound.

Crystal gasped. Derek fell to the ground, screaming in pain. "Scott, hold him!" She tried to grab his legs while Scott pushed down on his shoulders. Soon, the red veins receded and the bullet wound disappeared.

"That was awesome!" Stiles cried finally. He fist pumped the air. "Yes."

"How was that awesome?" Crystal asked as they helped Derek up. She untied the tourniquet around his arm.

"We saved him, didn't we?"

"Are you feeling all right?" Scott asked.

"Besides the lingering effects of the hours of agonizing pain, I'm fine."

Crystal wrapped Derek in a hug, ignoring his sweaty bare chest. His heart thumped against her ear, letting her know that he was alive. Derek stiffened. "Don't do that again," she whispered.

"What, get shot by a hunter? I wasn't planning on it."

Crystal nodded and released him. "You have no idea what we went through to get that bullet. I don't want to have to do it again."

"All right," Scott cut in. "We saved you. Now will you leave us alone?" He glanced at her. "_All_ of us?"

She turned around. "I'm not a child, Scott. You can't keep me from seeing whoever I want to see."

"You make it sound like you're dating," Stiles chuckled awkwardly. Derek and Crystal glared at him. "Glad to see you're both feeling better."

"If you don't I'll tell Mr. Argent everything."

"No, you won't," Crystal said coldly. She picked up Derek's shirt and tossed it to him. He pulled it on as she spoke. "Because if you do, we are all dead. She doesn't discriminate. She doesn't care if you're a werewolf who's killed or a werewolf who hasn't, or if you haven't shifted yet, or even if you're a thirteen year old human who just happened to be at the Hale house almost every day."

"What are you talking about?" Scott asked over Derek's low growl.

Crystal exited the room, grabbing Scott's wrist as she passed. Derek followed close behind.

"Where are you guys going?" Stiles called. "Guys?" The door opened and shut, leaving Stiles alone. "Okay, I guess I'll just clean up then."

* * *

Crystal parked in front of the entrance to the long term ward at the hospital.

"What are we doing here?" Scott asked.

"We're here to see Peter," Crystal told him. He knew about Peter from some of the stories she told him, but she had never told Scott exactly what had happened to him after the fire.

Derek led them to Peter's room, even though she could probably walk these halls in her sleep.

"Don't let Jennifer catch us," she warned quietly. Derek shot her a look, and she shrugged.

"This is Peter?" Scott looked at the man in the wheelchair, stunned. Peter Hale hadn't moved when they entered.

Crystal crouched down next to his wheelchair. "Peter Hale. Brother, uncle, father all rolled into one amazingly sarcastic and brilliant package."

"Is he a werewolf, like you?"

She grabbed Peter's hand and squeezed gently.

"He was," Derek corrected softly. "He and my mom are the reason Crystal knows what she does about us." He sighed. "Six years ago, while Laura and I were at school, the house caught fire."

"It was arson," Crystal corrected. "I was there; I would know. I saw her. The house was burning, everyone was screaming, and she just stood outside. She was smiling."

"_She was watching it burn, and she was smiling_," Scott quoted her.

"We can't trust the Argents," Derek told him, spinning Peter's chair so Scott could see the other half of his face. It was covered in burn scars. "They did that to him. And one day, your girlfriend will do the same thing."

"You don't know that," Scott protested.

"They say they follow a code. I don't know if they do or not, but Kate definitely didn't." Derek's face was hard. Crystal glanced at him, confused. How did he know Kate Argent?

"_Kate Argent_ set the fire?"

"What are you doing?" a voice asked from behind them. Crystal grimaced and rose. "You're not supposed to be in here."

"Technically, I'm allowed access around the clock," she told Jennifer, glaring.

Derek grabbed her arm warningly. "We were just leaving." He pulled Crystal along with him, and Scott followed. Crystal shook him off when they got outside and drove them all home.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" she asked Derek when they pulled up outside the McCall house. Scott went inside.

He shook his head. "I'll run."

Her head fell onto the steering wheel tiredly. "We can't let them know about Scott. They'll kill him."

He could see she had no intention of moving, so he got out and opened her door for her. She finally stood with the door between them.

"You should go," he told her. "Unless you want me to carry you inside."

Crystal groaned, shaking her tawny curls. "That'll just give them more material. Where Stiles ever came up with the idea that we were dating, I have no idea."

Derek rolled his eyes. "It didn't help that you said Scott couldn't stop you from seeing me."

She slapped him playfully. "Well, he can't. I'm nineteen years old. If anything, they should listen to me." She closed and locked her car. "Night."

* * *

**And there you have it: chapter 5. **


	6. Parent Teacher Conference

**This chapter will be shorter because, let's face it, I had no way of getting Crystal to the Hale house for the Kate/Derek confrontation. Plus, The Tell isn't my favorite episode.**

* * *

Kate handed Allison a box. "It's an early birthday present. An apology for being such a bitch last night."

"No," Allison protested, but Kate cut her off.

"I was horrible, accusing your friend and boyfriend's sister of stealing."

_Well, maybe a little_. Allison opened the box and gasped in delight at the silver pendant. "It's beautiful."

"It's a family heirloom."

Allison took it out and examined it. It had a wolf in the middle, with what looked like a sun and a stream in the corners. "It reminds me of Crystal's necklace."

"Crystal's got a necklace like this?" Kate asked curiously. Allison didn't see the predatory look in her eyes.

"Yeah, I think so. I mean, I haven't seen it up close, but I saw it had a few wolves around a woman." She looked up at Kate. "What does the symbol mean?"

Kate helped her put the necklace on. "That, you'll have to figure out on your own." She laughed when Allison's face fell. "Trust me, some mysteries are worth solving."

After Allison left, Kate grinned wickedly. She had just found the perfect leverage to draw the Alpha and Derek Hale out of hiding.

* * *

Allison gasped as balloons flew out of her locker. Scott chuckled. "It's your birthday?"

She nodded reluctantly, stuffing them back in and shutting the door. "Please don't tell anyone. I don't know how Lydia even found out."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, hurt.

She bit her lip. "I don't want anyone to know. Because I'm seventeen today."

Scott shrugged. "So you had to repeat a year from moving around so much. Big deal."

Allison wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. When she pulled away, he had to force his brain to work again. "What was that for?"

"For being the first person to figure it out. That's not what I normally hear. Everyone else is like, 'Did you ride the short bus?' or 'Did you have a baby?'"

He gaped. "You hear that crap on your birthday?" She shrugged. An idea struck him. "Wanna skip?"

It took a while to convince her, but finally they were headed to her car.

"How did you know?" she asked.

The words flew out before he could think about it. "Crystal's nineteen. She was born in December, so she should have graduated last year. But after her parents died, she had to repeat a year." He covered his mouth with both hands as Allison's face filled with pity. "Don't say anything, please. She hates pity."

"I won't," she told him finally.

* * *

The whole school was talking about the attack on Jackson, even though virtually nobody knew what happened. Crystal hadn't had the chance to talk to Scott or Derek about it. Fortunately (or not, depending on who you asked) Jackson was all right. Lydia wasn't at school today.

Neither were Allison and Scott.

Crystal leaned forward. "Stiles," she hissed. "Where's Scott?"

Stiles shrugged, busy highlighting every sentence in his book. "Don't know, but he wasn't in English earlier," he whispered around the cap in his mouth.

Harris started walking down the rows. "As you all know, there is a parent/teacher conference tonight. Anybody who has a C or lower is required to attend. I won't name names, because the shame that you put yourselves and your parents through should be punishment enough." He looked between Stiles and Crystal. "Has anyone seen Scott McCall?"

They shrugged in unison. Luckily, the opening door saved them. Jackson slouched in and sat down tiredly. Harris placed his hand on Jackson's shoulder and whispered something. Jackson nodded.  
"Everyone start reading chapter nine. If by some miraculous chance you do manage to stumble your way to the end of the chapter, you can answer the questions at the end during class. If not, it's homework—not that any of you will do it, in which case I will have the pleasure of giving you a zero." He glanced at Stiles. "Mr. Stilinski, it's not a coloring book. Try putting the highlighter down between sentences."

Crystal glared at Harris's back as the highlighter cap soared into the air. Stiles leaned over to Danny. "Hey, Danny, can I ask you something?"

"No," Danny said.

"Well, I'm going to ask anyway. Did Lydia come to school today?"

"No."

"Do you know what happened last night to her and Jackson?"

Crystal shook her head fondly. Honestly, that boy needed a girlfriend.

"He wouldn't tell me," Danny admitted reluctantly.

"But you're his best friend!" she gasped.

"One more question."

"_What?_" Danny sighed, exasperated.

"Do you find me attractive?"

Crystal shot him a weird look. Something was seriously wrong with him. Maybe he was dropped on his head as a baby. Stiles leaned forward to hear Danny's response and fell off his stool. He flailed like a fish out of water.

"Stiles, you need help," Crystal whispered before turning to her textbook.

After class, they leaned over his phone so they could both hear Scott. "Where the hell are you?" they hissed.

"Out."

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Look, we know you and Allison ditched. By the way, really bad idea." They heard Scott stutter. "Right now, I don't care. Your mom and Allison's parents can deal with you two. But in case you missed the memo, Jackson looks almost as bad as Derek when he was shot, Lydia's not here, and another man is dead."

"You have to do something about it, Scott," Stiles added.

"Why me?"

"You and Derek are the only two in town who can fix this, and even Derek admitted he needs you." Crystal looked up in time to see a very familiar figure walking out the door.

"I'll deal with it later." The dial tone sounded.

They gaped at each other. "He just hung up on us," Stiles said in disbelief.

"I am _so_ not covering for him later."

* * *

**What were you doing at the HS today?**

Crystal turned off her phone and walked into the chorus room. As usual, she was one of the last people to arrive. She spent the next two hours practicing for the concert the next night, wanting to get her duet with Nick Fenley, a tenor, just right. She smiled at him as they left. "Good work today."

He nodded in gratitude. "Let's just hope we get that transition just right at the concert."

Crystal chuckled and turned her phone back on, which immediately started buzzing. Seeing she had two missed calls, a voicemail, and a text all from Derek, she excused herself to find out what was so important.

Derek's voice was clipped. "Call me."

She frowned and opened the text.

**She knows about you.**

That confused her. She figured the "she" had to be Kate Argent. Of course she knew about Crystal, they had been at the same dinner together. Fingers already dialing, she waved to Nick. The phone rang four times before Derek picked up. "Where are you?" he asked immediately.

"At the school. You okay?"

"Kate paid me a visit about an hour ago."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. She knows you're a pack friend." Something crashed in the background. "She could use you as bait."

Crystal came to an abrupt halt, fear surging through her. "Crap. How does she know?" How did she know where to find Derek? Did she know Crystal was also part of the Hale pack?

"Yeah. Whatever you do, stay away from her as much as possible."

"Way ahead of you." She pushed the door open and blinked against the light. "What were you doing at the high school earlier?"

"I was talking to Jackson."

"Ah," Crystal said. "You wanted to know if he saw anything."

"Yeah. He didn't."

Her phone rang with another incoming call from Melissa. "I have to go."

"Crystal," Melissa said as soon as she answered. "Are you and Scott still at the school?"

"I haven't left yet," she replied carefully.

"Good. The parent/teacher conferences start at six. You think you could just stay there, make sure Scott actually goes?"

Crystal's eyes bugged. "Uh, actually, Scott's not here."

"Where is he?" Melissa asked. Crystal could imagine her eyes narrowing.

"I think Stiles was talking to him last. I'll call him."

"All right." Crystal listened carefully for any signs of suspicion, but Melissa was either a really good liar over the phone or she believed her. "I'll be at the school at six. Try to get Scott there."

Crystal hung up and sighed loudly. "Scott, what are you doing?"

Her phone rang for the second time in five minutes. "Hello?"

"Hey, Crystal. Is Scott all right? He was supposed to be here an hour ago."

She cursed out loud. And she promised she wouldn't cover for him. "Sorry, Deaton. I had chorus practice and I just got out. Scott's fine, don't worry, but he has to stick around for the parent/teacher conference. He must have forgotten to tell you."

Deaton chuckled. "It's all right. Just making sure something hadn't happened to him."

No, but something was going to happen to him if he didn't show his face soon. "That's nice of you, Deaton."

"Scott's a good kid."

"That he is." He was also stubborn, an idiot, and a lovesick puppy. Or should that be wolf pup? "Anyway, I'll make sure he gets to work tomorrow."

"All right. Bye, Crystal."

"Bye, Deaton."

* * *

To pass the time, she did homework in the library. She needed to be careful or between the Alpha, Scott, and the Argents she would fall behind like Scott. That was not acceptable her senior year, especially since she had to be held back after the fire. Finally, she looked at her phone and figured Melissa would be in the conference. She decided to head home before anyone found her. She walked out the front doors and froze at the sight of Melissa and Mr. and Mrs. Argent on the steps.

"Oh, damn."

Melissa saw her and beckoned. Crystal moved to stand beside her. The adults all opened their mouths. "I don't know where Scott and Allison went, I don't know what they're doing, I don't know why, and I guess they took Allison's car since I drove Scott and my car's still here," she rushed. "And I don't know whose idea it was, but knowing Scott, probably his." She turned to leave and saw a familiar mop of brown hair getting out of a car. She hopped down the steps and ran up to them before the parents could get hold of them. "You two are so dead." They winced guiltily. "Say goodbye, Scott, because I doubt you'll be allowed out of your room for at least ten years."

"Allison!" Mr. Argent called. Crystal high tailed it out of there and was behind the pickup next to her car when something moved under her car. A soft growl sounded. She stopped and grabbed the woman beside her, who had almost passed in front of it.

The woman scowled at her. "What's your problem?"

Crystal held her finger to her lips and scuffed her foot deliberately. The growl got louder. She wondered if it was her imagination, or if the animal sounded scared. A paw poked out and retreated.

The woman screamed and bolted. "No, damn it!" Crystal gasped. The woman had set off a chain reaction by screaming and running. The animal darted out from under the car and Crystal saw a streak of tawny fur. A cougar. Someone else saw it run under another car and screamed, climbing as fast as they could into their car. Suddenly there was a mad rush, people rushing to their cars and pulling out regardless of the pedestrians.

She swung into the bed of the pickup, trying to keep an eye on the cougar. It was gone in all the commotion, so she turned her eyes toward Scott, Melissa, and the Argents. Allison was moving forward, trying to figure out what was going on. Mr. Argent was getting something out of his car.

Scott pulled Allison out of the way of a car. Honestly, it seemed like everyone was an idiot, but fear made people do stupid things.

"What the hell are you doing in my truck?" a man shouted.

She glared at him, wondering if he was scared or if he was just stupid. "Cougar running around, humans running around. I'd like to still be in one piece in the morning."

A gunshot rang out. Soon, everyone fell silent and calmed down, so she hopped out of the truck bed and went to find Scott. He was by Melissa, who was looking at Sheriff Stilinski's ankle.

"What happened?" she asked, barely glancing at the cougar now lying dead in the middle of the road even though she felt a stab of pity for it. Melissa and Stiles's dad jumped. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I got hit by a car. I'll be fine." He groaned.

"It's at least sprained," Melissa told him. "Scott, help get him to the car."

"I can do it," the sheriff insisted. He relented at Melissa's raised eyebrows. As soon as he was in the car, Melissa turned to them. "Go home. We can discuss your punishments later."

"Me?" Crystal yelped. "What did I do?"

"You didn't tell me Scott skipped school to hang out with his girlfriend."

Crystal's lips pulled into a snarl, and she grabbed Scott's arm. "Come on." She made sure to dig her nails into his arm deep enough to draw blood.

* * *

**And there you have it. That's The Tell.**


	7. Hunted

**I promised I wouldn't do it, and I did it. It's been exactly one month and one day since I last updated. I have no excuse. **

**Disclaimer.**

* * *

From the very back of the room he watched her in her burgundy dress, tawny curls pinned in a neat bun. She walked onto the stage like she owned it. He smirked. That was his girl.

The pianist began to play, and her alto voice rang out. The notes snaked around him, drawing him in. He listened as she sung of lost love, pouring her emotion into it. He wondered who she thought of as she sang. Her song just gave him even more resolve and fed the fire that burned in his heart, his animalistic side threatening to emerge. Luckily for everyone, both parts of him agreed not to ruin her concert.

* * *

A couple of nights later, Scott shoved open the door. Crystal smirked. "Wrong floor, dumbass."

"No, this is it. I'm sure of it."

"That's what you said about the last floor, too."

Scott pulled out the keys, laying his bag on the ground, and pressed the unlock button. He looked up with a grimace. Crystal raised her eyebrows. "Shut up."

"Was I right?" Chuckling, she dodged Scott's mock swipe at her and knocked into the bag on the ground. The milk fell and rolled between two cars. She pointed at the space. "I'm not getting that."

Surprisingly, the milk came rolling back toward them. It was leaking from three claw marks on its side. Scott looked at it, shocked, while Crystal looked in the direction where the milk came from. "Run." A growl filled the air. "Scott, run!"

He did, grabbing her arm and dragging her after him. "Come on." He practically flew down the parking garage with her in an iron grip. She stumbled, unable to keep up. She looked over her shoulder at the lean dark shadow following them.

"Scott, keep going. I can't keep up," she whispered. He gaped at her. "No. It's after you, plus I can take care of myself." Knowing that their attacker wouldn't hurt her was a bonus.

He pulled her down behind a car. "I'm not leaving you," he hissed.

"You _have_ to. No," she added when he opened his mouth to continue arguing. "Listen to me."

He growled, torn. Crystal pulled her jacket off and threw it past Scott's face, not waiting to see it land before she ducked around the other side and headed back the way they came. Car alarms sounded behind her. If she could just get to the door and get back inside, the "Alpha" would have to give up the chase. Heart pounding from exertion, she sprinted around the corner.

Two arms grabbed her and spun her around.

Choking back a gasp, she glared at Derek. He raised his eyebrows. "You're dead."

"I'm not the one you're supposed to be training," she reminded him softly.

Derek pointed, a silent _stay here_ motion, before taking off again. She scoffed. Ten seconds later, a ringtone pierced the air. If she could hear it, Derek definitely could.

"Tell me you're joking," she said to the air. Derek was going to skin him alive.

Thirty seconds later, she heard their voices—well, Scott's raised voice—as they approached her.

"I was fast, right?" Scott asked.

"Not fast enough."

"But the thing with the car alarms—that was smart, right?" the younger werewolf persisted, determined to earn a lick of praise from his elder.

"Until your phone rang," Derek said coldly. He stopped next to Crystal. She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows.

"And how did I do, coach?"

"If I had been the Alpha, you would be dead."

She huffed. For a human, she thought she had done pretty well. Scott stopped in front of them, clutching his cell phone.

"What happened the other night, Stiles's dad getting hurt and everything, that was my fault. I should have done something." Talk about overstating his abilities. How would he have gotten across the parking lot in the span of a second without tipping anyone off? "I need you to teach me how to control this," he continued.

"I was born this way," Derek snapped. "You were bitten. Teaching someone who was bitten takes time. Actually, I don't even know if I can teach you."

Scott looked determined. "What do I have to do?"

"Get rid of distractions." Oh, he wasn't going to like the next part. Derek snatched the phone from him, glanced at the screen, and showed it to them both. "You see this?" Crystal didn't even have to look, but she did anyway. Yep. One missed call from Allison. "This is why I caught you. If you really want me to teach you, get rid of her."

Scott's eyes widened, his gaze turning belligerent. "What, just because of who her family is?"

"Are you forgetting what they did to us?" Crystal gestured between herself and Derek. "To Peter and Laura and Talia and Mike and everyone else?"

"That doesn't mean—" Scott looked over at Derek, who held up his phone. "What are you—" Derek drew his arm back and smoothly tossed it at the wall. "No!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Scott kind of _need_ a phone?" Crystal asked.

"I can find him."

"But Stiles, Melissa, and I can't."

Scott glared between the two of them. "He just broke my phone! How are you so calm about this?"

"Derek, will you get Scott a new phone?"

"Maybe."

"He needs it by next week." She turned to Scott. "There. Problem solved."

"I can't believe you!" Scott threw his hands up.

"You're getting angry. That's the first step. You wanna control this, learn how to shift, you use anger. You have to tap into a primal rage, and you can't do that with her around."

Scott's eyes narrowed. "I can get angry."

Crystal's eyebrows rose mockingly. "_That's_ angry? If so, you suck at showing it."

"Crystal, hush."

She bristled. "Don't tell me to hush, Derek Hale."

He ignored her and turned his attention back to Scott. "You can't get angry enough. This is the only way I can teach you. Can you stay away from her?" At Crystal's _are you an idiot_ expression, he continued. "At least until after the full moon?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Do you want to survive? Do you want to protect your friends?" Derek persisted.

Scott nodded definitively. "Yes. If you can teach me, I can stay away from her."

For how long was the question. Crystal gave it until the next day. She clapped her hands together. "Cool. Now that that's somewhat settled, Scott can take the groceries to the car. Derek, come with me." He shot her a questioning look. "You ruined our milk and Scott's phone. The least you can do is pay for a new bottle." _And we need to talk,_ she signed.

He rolled his eyes. Scott smirked. They both caught it and glared at the younger werewolf.

"Scott, groceries. Car. Now." She tossed him the keys and walked off knowing Scott would do what she told him. Thankfully Derek was at the door leading back inside. As soon as they were inside the store, she spoke. "You know he's not going to stay away from her very long."

"I give it two days."

She scoffed. "That's giving his willpower too much credit. I give it until tomorrow, tops." They stopped at the milk section long enough for her to grab a new bottle. "You want anything?" He shook his head. She went to the meats and grabbed a frozen chicken. It hadn't been on the list, but Derek needed to eat something besides fast food and expensive restaurant meals.

"If Scott turns by getting angry, what'll keep him from ripping our throats out?"

"Our?" he repeated.

"Well, I might be around. You know Stiles is going to try to help." She shrugged. "He doesn't trust you."

"I don't care if Stiles trusts me. I care if Scott is willing to do what I tell him."

"Which requires a certain degree of trust. So, how do we keep him from ripping our throats out?"

"He has to find an anchor."

She blinked. "An anchor?"

"Someone or something that keeps him focused, that helps him hold onto his humanity."

"What's yours?"

"Anger."

She laughed in disbelief. "Doesn't that sort of contradict itself?" Oh, wait. It was Derek. He was full of contradictions.

* * *

Scott snuck out that night after dinner. Well, not really—he told Melissa where he was going, and it was before nine so he was still able to go out. But he was going to Allison's in strict violation of Derek's instructions. What was worse was that Crystal was so wrapped up in homework and then watching _Into the Woods_ that she didn't even notice until Scott burst into the house in a panic. She paused the movie. "Scott?"

He didn't answer her. She trailed him, watching him lock the windows and the back door on the lower floor before he headed up the stairs. "Scott, what happened?"

"I saw him," he whispered.

"The Alpha?" He nodded, ducking into his mom's room. "Where?"

"Outside Allison's."

She smacked him on the arm. "What were you doing there?"

"Don't start." He checked all the other windows and finally went into his room. She moved to sit in his chair, but as her eyes adjusted she saw a dark shape already sitting in it, revealing someone else's presence in the room. She gasped just as Scott flicked on the light. He jumped when he saw Derek.

"Derek!" he cried. "You need to stop _doing_ that!"

"What did I say last time?" Crystal added. Her heart was still pounding.

Derek ignored their reactions. "Did he say anything?"

"Oh, yeah, we had a nice conversation about Crystal's concert and then we talked about the weather for a bit." Scott shook his head. "No. He didn't talk."

"Well, did you get any feelings off of him? An impression?"

Crystal looked at him curiously. "You can feel emotions?"

"All of our senses are heightened. We don't have to communicate with just words," he explained. "What kind of feeling did you get from him?"

Scott thought it over for a moment. "Anger. He was really angry."

Crystal tensed. "At you?"

This time he didn't hesitate to shake his head. "No. Not at me. But it was definitely anger, especially when he drew the spiral."

Derek rose. "Wait, the what?" His voice was terse. The spiral obviously meant something, but Crystal had no idea what that something was. She doubted Derek would tell her right away.

She was right. After Scott drew the spiral in the air, he asked, "What is it? You have this look like it's important or something."

Derek shook his head firmly, heading for the door. Crystal blocked his path. He huffed. "It's nothing."

"You can't do that," Scott huffed. "You can't ask me to trust you and then keep stuff from me."

"He's right for once," Crystal whispered softly, ignoring his indignant look. She looked Derek in the eye. He was worried. "We buried Laura under a spiral. It's important. What does it mean?"

"You don't want to know."

"Maybe not, but we need to know. Keeping us out of the loop isn't helping anybody." She stepped aside, opening the door. "There's some lasagna left over in the fridge if you want any."

He looked at her for a moment longer before disappearing. She closed the door behind him and leaned against it.

"What was that?" Scott demanded.

"We can't force answers out of Derek. He'll tell us eventually."

"But how long will that take?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

* * *

"Your brother is an idiot."

Crystal looked over in Scott's direction. He was holding a textbook upright and slouching to hide his face behind it. "Oh. My. God."

"He does realize the book's making it more obvious, right?"

"Probably not," she scoffed. She shot off a quick text to Stiles. **What the hell? He looks like an idiot.**

**That's because he is,** was the prompt reply. She snickered. **He's trying to avoid Allison.**

"Dumbass." She looked at Boyd. "He's trying to avoid Allison for some stupid dare."

He rolled his eyes. A kid plopped down across from him and held out his hand. Boyd raised his eyebrows. The kid grumbled but pulled out his wallet and forked over fifty dollars. Boyd recounted the money before he took a set of keys out of his bag and handed them over. "Pleasure doing business with you."

The kid took off, and Crystal turned to Boyd. "What was that?"

He held up a second keychain with a few more keys than the first. "I rent out the spare keys to the skating rink to students for fifty bucks."

"Nice. How do you know they'll bring them back?"

"That's why I have the originals."

She looked over at Scott's table in time to see him take off. Allison followed him moments later. "I am so glad I'm not related to him."

* * *

"It's her."

Crystal stopped next to the boys, curiosity piqued. "Who's what?"

"Allison. In class just now, Coach was yelling at Scott and Allison held his hand and he calmed down," Stiles explained.

"So Scott found his anchor," she mused.

"Yeah." Stiles looked pleased, but Scott just looked confused. Stiles sighed at his best friend. "Remember the night of the first lacrosse game? You were freaking out and you heard her voice. It calmed you down. And after that, in the locker room, you didn't kill her."

"She keeps you human," Crystal added.

Scott shook his head. "No, not all the time. Cause whenever I'm kissing her or touching her—"

Crystal grimaced, having an idea where the conversation was heading.

Stiles shook his head and proved her right. "No, that's not the same at all. When you're doing that, you're just another hormonal teenage boy thinking about sex." Scott got a goofy grin on his face.

"Thanks, Stiles. Now he's thinking about it." Crystal shivered in disgust. "I'm out of here."

"No, I'm done now."

"So she keeps you focused—"

"You mean because I love her."

Three pairs of eyes widened, and Stiles and Crystal grimaced at Scott's happy puppy look. "Now I _definitely _have to go, before he goes and finds a boom box or something."

* * *

Scott and Stiles burst into the house later that night. "Crystal, we need you."

She smirked and put down her book. "That's flattering, boys. But one, I'm pretty sure that borders on incest, and two, I don't do threesomes."

They both looked like they would be sick. She snickered.

"No, this is important. I got to work earlier—I was late, I had detention—"

"Is this becoming a habit?"

"Stiles's fault. But anyway, I get to work and I find Derek beating Deaton to a pulp."

The mirth slid off her face. "What?"

"Yeah. He has this crazy idea Deaton's the Alpha."

"And what do you want me to do? It sounds like you stopped him, or you wouldn't be here."

Scott looked at her like she was dumb. "I have an idea. Come with us to the school."

She looked at them warily. "Why?"

"Because you're the only one who can put a leash on Derek," Stiles suggested.

She laughed disbelievingly. "I can't make Derek do or not do anything." Sure, the Hales had always seemed to give her more leeway than they did other pack friends, but that might have been because she was a child at the time.

"You got him to agree to get me a new phone."

"No, he said maybe. There's a difference."

"Whatever. The point is, we need you there to run interference." Stiles waved his hands through the air.

She sighed. "Fine. Where are we meeting him?"

"The school," Scott told her. She went upstairs and slipped on her shoes and on impulse threw the dog whistle around her neck. When she climbed into the Jeep, she found a pair of bolt cutters on the floor of the back seat. She held them up silently.

"We need to get into the school somehow," Stiles told her.

The car ride was silent. When they got to the empty school, they climbed out and Crystal turned to them. "Okay, boys, what's your bright idea?"

"It's a terrible idea," Stiles corrected.

"And you're still going through with it?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Scott asked.

"Well, it would help if I knew the plan," she snapped at the same time Stiles said, "Personally I'm all for ignoring a problem and hoping it just goes away."

Scott didn't answer her question, since Derek's Camaro pulled up just then. Derek climbed out and raised his eyebrows. "What is she doing here?"

"Running interference, apparently." She raised her eyebrows in return, practically a mirror image of Derek except for the fact that her arms were crossed. She didn't notice the boys looking not-so-subtly between them. "Mind explaining why you thought it would be a good idea to beat the vet to a bloody pulp?"

"He's the Alpha. Unconscious, he can't keep himself from healing."

"Oh, yeah. Great thought." She walked over and pulled open Derek's back seat door, climbing in despite Derek's warning growl and tilting Deaton's head to show them the slightly bleeding cut. "Human, and you could have killed him." She ducked out of the back. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe the Alpha was trying to throw you off his trail?"

From the look on Derek's face, obviously not. Scott and Stiles were halfway up the sidewalk by the time they broke their staring contest.

"Where are you going?" she called, irritated.

Scott turned back around. "Derek said I was connected with the Alpha. I'm going to see if he's right."

She ran that sentence over in her head, trying to find another answer than the one she kept getting.

"Please tell me he's not doing what I think he's doing."

"You mean is he going to try to lure the Alpha here?"

She snarled as ferociously as humanly possible. "I am going to _kill_ him. What the hell is he thinking? When the Alpha shows up, does he think we're all going to get out of here intact? Honestly!" She whirled on Derek. "And you. The Alpha's planting red herrings. Don't turn into the hound that gets stuck in a bog."

Derek leaned against the front of the Jeep. Crystal used his shoulder as support so she could hop up on top of the hood, purposefully not looking at him.

"The spiral is our sign for revenge," Derek said finally. "A few months ago my sister got a letter. It was a picture of a dead deer with the spiral carved into its side." Crystal grimaced. "That's what brought her back to Beacon Hills. The vet knows something."

"Deaton."

"What?"

"The vet has a name," she told him, staring at the doors the boys had gone through. "It's Deaton. Use it."

It didn't take long for something to happen. Crystal's ears strained as she heard a horrible sound. "Is that a dying cat?" she asked, appalled.

Derek snorted. "That's Scott trying to howl."

She covered her face with her hands. A second later, a loud rumbling filled the air. Her hair stood on end and she looked at Derek, disturbed. "That was Scott's howl."

It wasn't a question, but he nodded anyway. "I'm going to kill him."

"What the hell is he trying to do, let every hunter in town know where he is?" She leapt off the hood and landed nimbly next to Derek. The boys appeared, grinning madly.

"I'm going to kill both of you," Derek began.

"Congratulations. I think there were wolves in Europe who didn't hear you; why don't you try howling just a little bit louder?" Crystal snapped sarcastically, glaring at the two of them.

"Are you trying to attract everyone in the state here?"

"Not to mention the hunters. The same ones who tried to _kill_ us." She waved between herself, Derek, and Scott.

"I didn't know it would be that loud," Scott said, still smiling slightly.

"It was _awesome_," Stiles sang.

Derek scowled. "Shut up."

"Don't be such a sourwolf." He looked at Crystal. "Sorry, mommy."

She stalked toward him and whacked him on the back of the head. "This is not a joke," she hissed. They froze, grins sliding off their faces.

"Where is he?" Scott asked suddenly.

She shook her head in angry confusion. "What?"

He pointed. "Deaton. What did you do with him?"

They all turned. Sure enough, the door was wide open and Deaton was nowhere to be seen. An instant later, Derek was rising into the air and coughing up blood. A monstrous shape held him up and growled at them.

Crystal covered her mouth with both hands to keep her scream locked inside her. Scott and Stiles backed away slowly.

"Crystal, come on."

The Alpha threw Derek into the grass and stalked toward her. She couldn't move, couldn't _breathe_.

It was right in front of her. Her vision was going blurry, so instinctively she inhaled shakily. Red eyes stared into forest green flecked with gold. It moved slower than she would have expected it to, reaching a clawed finger from the hand not covered in Derek's blood to trace her cheek lightly.

"Run," she croaked. "Scott, go."

She could hear them arguing behind her. The Alpha lunged past her in their direction. They bolted for the doors, but the Alpha didn't follow them. Instead he returned to her side in time to watch her sink to her knees.

"Why?" she whispered.

"Why what?" His voice was deep and gravelly.

"Why are you doing this? Why did you kill Derek?" _Why are you leaving me alone?_

He ignored her first question. "I needed him out of the way. Don't worry," he added as tears dripped onto the pavement. "He'll heal."

Her head whipped toward Derek's body. "He's alive?" she breathed.

The Alpha's head shot up and he stalked toward the doors where Stiles was trying to slip out to reach the bolt cutters. Crystal rose and staggered over to Derek. There was blood everywhere. "Derek." She reached out and shook him roughly. "Derek!"

A grinding sound pulled her attention to the Jeep. The Alpha had ripped a hole in the hood and held the battery in one massive paw. He disappeared again, and a second later she heard glass shatter. She couldn't do anything to help Stiles and Scott now. She looked down at her necklace and the dog whistle that she had completely forgotten about. She picked the whistle up and blew three short, sharp bursts. Derek groaned. "You're okay," she breathed.

"If you call bleeding severely okay, then I'm splendid."

She helped him pull off his jacket and shirt, ripping the latter into strips and doing her best to wrap the wounds. He groaned when she helped him to his feet. It took a while, but eventually they made it to the car. She unceremoniously dumped him in the passenger seat, grabbed the keys from his pocket, and hurried to the driver's side.

"Where's Scott?" he asked as she pulled out of the parking lot.

"He and Stiles are in the school, trapped."

"How are you here, then?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. He was right in front of me. He _spoke_ to me. And then he just…disappeared."

She was so focused on the road and making sure they weren't speeding that she missed Derek's thoughtful frown.

* * *

The house was dark when she pulled the Camaro next to her poor car. Melissa had took the keys and told her she would only get them back for school the next week, so she was stuck either taking the bus or hitching a ride.

_Not important,_ she told herself and went to help Derek out of the car. It took another ten agonizing minutes to get him inside and upstairs. They both sighed in relief when he plopped down on her bed. They were silent as she cleaned him up and bandaged him again. Then, to keep herself busy, she went down, heated up the oven, and threw in a frozen pizza. Twenty minutes later she took it out and set it on the counter to cool while she straightened up the living room. She cut it, put two pieces on a couple of plates, and took them upstairs. Derek ate his quickly. Crystal took one bite of hers but it tasted like sawdust, so she gave her plate to Derek.

"Why aren't you healing?" she asked finally.

"I'm healing, it's just taking longer. Any wound inflicted by an Alpha takes longer to heal."

She nodded, then asked what was really worrying her. "Do you think they'll be okay?" Derek didn't say anything, which was answer enough. "What does he want?"

"He wants Scott in his pack." Turning his head, he elaborated. "When a werewolf joins a new pack, their loyalties can't be divided. So, to prove they're worthy of being in the new pack…"

"They kill everyone in their old pack," she finished.

"It doesn't have to happen that way, but most don't want to take that chance."

"So the Alpha wants Scott to kill Stiles?"

"Not just Stiles. All of his friends."

Her eyes widened and she grabbed her phone, dialing Stiles's number. It rang twice before he picked up. "Crystal!"

"Stiles! Are you okay?"

"Crystal, help!" Suddenly three voices were talking on the other end all at once, and she recognized every one of them.

"Hey!" Stiles hollered finally. It was silent for a moment. "Thank you," he continued.

"You okay?" she asked.

"For now." He lowered his voice. "You may want to kill Scott later, though."

"Tell me later. Right now, we have to get you out of there."

"Call the police!" Jackson demanded.

"We tried that," Allison reminded him. "They hung up on us."

"He's covering his bases," Crystal breathed.

"Look, just go to the police and tell this moron's dad that Derek Hale locked us in the school and is trying to kill us."

"Wait, what?" Derek's eyes flashed blue and Crystal's eyes darkened with rage. "Repeat that."

"Scott said he saw Derek Hale kill the janitor, and now he's trying to kill us," Lydia explained.

"Oh, I am definitely going to kill him."

Finally, Scott spoke. "Hush, hush," he hurriedly said. "He's right outside."

"There's a door out of the kitchen that leads to a stairwell," Stiles told them.

"It only goes up!"

"Up is better than here," Stiles said.

Crystal grabbed the keys to the Camaro. "Okay. I'm going to get your dad." She heard loud crashes on the other end before the line cut off.

"Would he kill the cops?"

"Highly doubtful."

She turned to Derek and pointed to the closed door next to her closet. "Bathroom. Anyone comes home that's not me, hide in there." She grabbed the empty plates, threw them in the sink, and left for the sheriff's station.

* * *

She pulled the Camaro to a stop a block away and jogged to the station from there. When she opened the door, the very first person she almost ran into was Deputy Graeme. "Is the sheriff here?" Confused, the elder woman pointed in the direction of his office. Crystal brushed by her and burst into the office, where Stiles's dad was sipping what was probably coffee and looking at a file on his desk.

"Sheriff," she said as soon as she opened the door. "Stiles is in trouble."

Sheriff Stilinski was on his feet in a millisecond. "What happened?"

"I don't know all the details. Stiles called me from the high school. He, Scott, Lydia, Allison, and Jackson are trapped in the school with a killer."

"Come on." He was up and strapping his gun and badge to his belt, coffee forgotten. In all of two minutes, she was sitting in the passenger seat of a police car which was speeding down the road with a second police car behind it.

"What the hell are they doing in the school?"

"I don't know." Her phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket and hit speaker. "Stiles."

"Hey, Crystal."

"We're almost there." Sheriff Stilinski turned a corner.

"You got my dad?" Stiles sounded appalled.

"No, I planned on leaving you trapped to die a horribly gruesome death at school in the middle of the night." She rolled her eyes.

"Sarcasm is my thing."

They turned in front of the school. "All right, we're here."

Nearly an hour later, after they had all been questioned and Scott got dumped, they arrived home. Sheriff Stilinski explained to a worried Melissa what had happened, and she ushered them both inside. Crystal went directly upstairs to check on Derek. He was gone. She sighed and sent him a text.

**Car's a block away from the station. Get it before they find it. Keys are on my bedside table. Window's open. Stay hidden. **

She hesitated before adding one more sentence. **Hope you're okay.**

She sent the message, unlocked and cracked her window, changed quickly, lay down on her bed, and fell asleep. She would throttle Scott tomorrow.

* * *

**Well? **

**In case you didn't read my author's page, I started college this past week so until I find a nice balance for homework, shopping, activities, and writing, updates may take a while. **

**I'm thinking of taking the story AU either after season 3A or 3B. Season 4 just didn't agree with me. Thoughts? **


	8. Teen Troubles

**Made the before-a-month deadline! Woo hoo! **

**Disclaimer: Me no own.**

* * *

The next morning, and for the rest of the weekend, Crystal avoided Scott. She pretty much avoided Stiles too, but he had to go along with Scott's story otherwise everyone would have suspected something. At least, that was his reasoning when he visited Scott on Sunday night. She had retreated to her room and he explained everything through the door.

"It gets weirder," he said finally.

"How?" she bit out.

"When Scott was outside the Chem lab, before he heard Allison, he told me he was planning on going after you next, since the Alpha wanted his pack out of the way. But the Alpha wouldn't let him."

Crystal got up, strode over, and yanked the door open in one smooth movement. Stiles was leaning against the door for support, so he stumbled and flailed before regaining what little balance he had. She ignored that. "What?"

"Scott said the Alpha pretty much threatened him—if he laid one furry paw on you, the Alpha would rip him apart."

That didn't make sense. "The Alpha _wants_ Scott to be in his pack. He _needs_ Scott in his pack."

Stiles shrugged. "Apparently not as much as he wants you alive."

She shivered, thinking. "He was right in front of me. He could have done anything, but…" He had left her alone. Instead of ripping her to shreds or herding her into the school, he had told her Derek was alive, knowing she would get Derek away from the school—and herself, too.

"Maybe it's because he wants a female in his pack," Stiles suggested.

Crystal blinked, processing that, and then grimaced. "No. Gross." She had a thought. "I'll be back." Brushing past him, her hand hit something in his jacket pocket. She quickly picked it out, looked at the bottle, and slipped it back in as he started to speak. "Don't do anything that would get your dad in trouble." She had a feeling they wouldn't finish half the bottle of Jack. Plus, it would teach them a lesson if they had a hangover during Harris's class.

Leaving Stiles dumbfounded, she climbed into her car—thankfully she had her car privileges back—and drove toward the abandoned train station where Derek was currently hiding out. She opened the door. Not ten seconds later, Derek appeared. He was shirtless, allowing Crystal to walk around in a circle to examine his back. It was almost fully healed. Only puckered scars remained.

"Feeling better, I see," she began.

He shrugged. "I told you I'd heal."

"Good." She led the way inside until she found a lawn chair and a table. She sat down and it collapsed underneath her. Derek's only sign that he found this funny was his slightly upturned lips, but he helped her to her feet. She grimaced at him. "Not funny. You need new chairs in this place."

"I don't need chairs."

"Whatever. It turns out that Scott told Stiles something interesting." She watched him for the faintest twitch as she continued. "Apparently, the Alpha wouldn't let Scott kill me. As Stiles put it, if Scott lay one furry paw on me the Alpha would rip him apart." _Gotcha_, she thought as a shot of realization shot through Derek's eyes. "Spill."

He didn't say anything.

"Stiles has a theory that he wants me in his pack too, but that doesn't explain why he hasn't bitten me already."

Derek snarled silently, face twisting. His eyes dropped to her necklace quickly. Crystal followed his gaze. "What, he didn't hurt me because I'm pack friend?"

A memory flashed before her eyes, and another puzzle piece fell into place.

_She traced her fingers over the necklace, eyes wide with excitement and wonder. "What is it?"_

"_It's a necklace," Peter said sarcastically. "You know what they look like; you have several."_

_She rolled her eyes along with half the room, but unlike most of the others a smile played at the corners of her mouth. _

"_It's a sign to other werewolves that you're under our protection. See the wolves?" Talia pointed. "Those are members of the pack."_

"_It's basically a hands-off sign," Mike Hale said, holding up his arm with a leather wristband. Light glinted off a similar design lined in gold. _

_Crystal grinned. "I take it Peter isn't one of the adorable pups?"_

_Peter snorted, flashing sharp teeth. "Not a chance." _

"_What keeps others from breaking the rule?"_

_Cora spoke up. "If they hurt you or try to turn you without permission, Mom'll be mad."_

"_Heaven forbid anyone get on Talia Hale's bad side." Peter smirked. Mike coughed into his fist. Talia raised her eyebrows at both of them. _

"_It won't matter," Laura told her. "If that happens, we'll help you. Pack protects its own."_

"_We won't let that happen. No one with ill intent will get past us," Peter said. His eyes had lost their humor, honesty and determination taking its place. Blue eyes flashed for a moment._

_A warm happiness flooded her entire being. "Just don't die trying to keep me safe."_

_The werewolves shrugged, and Mike handed her another gift._

Either the Alpha didn't know the Hales were nearly all gone, or he respected their wishes. Maybe he thought she was friends with another pack. She wanted to toss that thought out the window, but they couldn't discount anything yet.

She groaned. "Well, as long as the Alpha doesn't want me hurt, I'm safe from him."

"For now," Derek added. "Scott and the others don't have that protection."

She nodded reluctantly. Neither did he.

* * *

Crystal didn't see Scott or Stiles on Monday until after school, so she wasn't all that surprised when Stiles came through the door. He had a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

"Scott?" Melissa called.

"It's Stiles," he said as Melissa came down the stairs.

She looked at him funnily. "How…?"

He held up a key. "I had one made so that—"

"Oh, good. No more climbing through a window at eleven at night?" Crystal hopped up from the couch.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Melissa pointed to the key. "It scares me, but it doesn't surprise me."

"It's Stiles." Crystal shrugged. "Nothing he does surprises me anymore."

Stiles pulled a face and let the bag drop to the floor. It rattled and clanked. Melissa pointed to the bag. "What's that?"

"School project."

Crystal chuckled slightly. Melissa turned to both of them. "He's okay, isn't he?"

"Scott?" Stiles exhaled. "Yeah, he's fine. Totally cool." Crystal sent him a look to keep him from rambling.

"He just doesn't talk to me anymore. Not the way he used to."

"He's had a rough week," Stiles said, just as Crystal scoffed and replied, "He's a teenage boy."

Melissa nodded slightly. "Yeah, I guess. Be careful tonight."

"You too," they chorused. Crystal was sure they had never meant it more.

"Full moon tonight."

Stiles's eyes widened. "Uh, what?"

"What does a full moon have to do with anything?" Crystal asked curiously.

"Brings out the crazies tonight. The E.R. gets really bad. It's actually where they came up with the word 'lunatic'." She waved and left.

The moment she was gone, Crystal looked at Stiles with raised eyebrows. "Scott's not home yet."

"Probably out with _her_." He headed up the stairs, leaving her behind. Something was wrong.

She was halfway up the stairs when she heard a shout. She ran the rest of the way, dread filling her. She swore someone was growling. "Stiles?"

He walked out of Scott's room with a grim, hurt look on his face. "Don't go in there."

She looked over his shoulder and saw Scott handcuffed to the radiator. His face was twisted into a hateful snarl. "Scott?"

Scott looked up at her, glaring daggers. "Crystal, get me out of here so I can hurt Stiles."

She got goosebumps. "No," she said firmly. She closed the bedroom door and looked to Stiles for an answer. "What the hell's gotten into him?"

"I don't know. He's been acting strange all day. He busted up Danny's nose at practice—"

"What? Is he okay?" If he wasn't, Scott was a dead man walking. Everybody loved Danny.

"Yeah, he's fine. Busted nose, but that's it. And he kissed Lydia."

She shook her head frantically. Scott would never do that. But it was the full moon, and on top of his already upset state, who knew what could happen. She had to talk to Derek.

"Keep an eye on Scott. Shout if you need me; I'll be outside."

Without waiting for a response, she fled the house, barely stopping to grab her cell phone. She walked just beyond the tree line before she made the call. Derek answered on the second ring.

"Derek, something's wrong with Scott." She twisted a curl anxiously around her finger.

"What happened?"

"He's not himself. I think the moon's affecting him worse this time. He threatened Stiles. He's handcuffed now, but—"

"I'll be right there."

He hung up on her. She inhaled, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat. Her eyes turned toward the moon. It was almost at its peak, rising sooner than she had expected. She hurried back inside. Scott was screaming in pain upstairs, which was both good and bad. It meant he was still in the house, but she and Stiles were stuck with him. Suddenly the screams stopped.

"No," she breathed. She turned the corner and nearly ran into Stiles.

"He's gone," they said at the same time.

"We have to find him," Stiles continued.

Crystal hit redial on her phone. It rang four times and went to voicemail. She hung up with a worried breath. "We can't do anything to stop him even if we do find him." She _really _needed to get some mountain ash.

Stiles led the way out the door and flailed to a stop. Crystal sidestepped him to avoid crashing and sighed in relief. "Derek."

Derek stood on the porch, frowning. "He's gone."

She nodded and he disappeared. Stiles blinked. "He's fast."

She laughed slightly. "Come on. We might as well give them a ride later."

"How—when—he's alive!" Stiles shot her a betrayed look. "And you didn't tell us."

She rolled her eyes. "Is now really the time for this?"

"Yes!"

"Fine. Yes, Derek's alive. No, he didn't kill anyone. Yes, he's on the run. Yes, I'm in on it. That cover everything?"

"Why?"

She threw her hands up incredulously. "He's on the run from the cops because of you and Scott, and they just happen to be led by your dad."

He shook his head. "Let's go."

They were headed toward the preserve when they saw the lights. Stiles paled.

"Stiles?"

"My dad," he breathed. "He was going out searching for Derek tonight."

Crystal turned completely to face him. "Stiles, your dad will be fine." He pulled over and jumped out of the Jeep. "Stiles!" She grumbled under her breath, yanked the keys out, and followed him.

"Has anyone seen my dad?" Stiles asked loudly. Crystal glanced over at the gurney being loaded into the ambulance. A charred hand hung out from underneath the sheets. She turned away quickly before she could dwell on it.

"Stiles? Crystal?"

She sighed in relief when she heard the sheriff's voice. Stiles hugged him tightly. "Dad."

"What are you doing here?"

"We saw the lights," Crystal explained. "And the gurney. What happened?" At his raised eyebrows, she huffed. "Right. Ongoing investigation."

"You two, get."

She waved nonchalantly and went to wait in the Jeep.

* * *

"That's Stiles?"

Kate nodded. "That night you came across the two betas, one was smaller, right?" Chris hummed in agreement. "Well, what if he wasn't just smaller; what if he was younger?"

She saw the wheels in Chris's head turning. "We have to be careful. Especially around her."

She scoffed. "Crystal Braddock is no problem."

"She's a pack friend," he retorted. Every hunter knew pack friends were dangerous. They had influence over at least one wolf, and if anything happened to the human, the wolf would come after the attacker with a vengeance. They had seen the carnage left behind after a pack friend was killed in Wisconsin three years ago.

The werewolves would do anything to avenge a pack friend, the humans who were easier to get to. Kate hid her malicious smile.

* * *

Stiles was sprawled on the floor and Crystal was asleep on the couch when Scott and Derek came in. Derek rolled his eyes at Stiles. Scott nudged his best friend with his foot. "Stiles, wake up."

Stiles jerked awake, making enough noise that Derek wanted to smack him. Crystal blinked. "Scott?"

The younger werewolf waved. "Hey."

That woke her up. In a second, she was in front of Scott, punching him on the arm with a solid _thwack_. "Hey? That's all you've got?"

"What do you want me to say?"

Derek moved to leave, but Crystal snagged his jacket sleeve without looking or hesitating in her conversation. How did she know? "How about, 'I'm sorry for being such an ass' or 'I promise never to ignore something like this on a full moon ever again'?"

Stiles yawned. "Or maybe 'I won't ever kiss Lydia again'?"

Crystal snapped her fingers. "Stiles, you're staying here tonight."

"Yep. My usual spot?"

"You know where the pillows and blankets are." When Stiles had disappeared upstairs, Crystal faced Scott. "You too."

He opened his mouth to protest. Derek raised his eyebrows at him. Scott looked between them and sighed. "It's like you two practice that." He went upstairs slowly, probably hoping to overhear their conversation.

"You can just as easily listen from your room," Derek said, looking in his direction until he heard Scott's bedroom door close and the two teenagers start talking. He nodded, satisfied.

Crystal let go of his jacket sleeve. "Thanks."

He raised his eyebrows. "I don't need Scott getting us killed."

"I know."

He pulled out the cell phone he had gotten before he was forced into hiding. Crystal took it curiously before her eyes widened in realization. "Scott's new phone." She smiled happily. "Thanks."

"Well, you were right. He does need a phone."

"He needs a _leash." _She stifled a yawn.

"You should get some sleep."

She nodded. "You can stay here tonight."

Staying in the same house as the two idiots who were the reason he was in hiding? Scott was obviously thinking the same thing, because he was suddenly at the top of the stairs. "What? He can't stay here!"

Crystal scowled at him. "Why not?"

"Because he's hiding from the cops." Thanks to Scott's dumbass move. "And what'll mom say when she comes home and finds him on the couch?"

Her eyes narrowed. "And whose fault is that? Plus, he won't be sleeping in the living room. He can sleep in my room."

Scott looked at her incredulously. Derek shook his head. He didn't want the hunters finding him here. Crystal huffed and went to the front door, opening it with a flourish. "Fine. If you change your mind, blankets are in the closet by the bathroom."

He nodded and left.

* * *

Crystal didn't hear from Derek again until Thursday night. She was dozing off on top of Harris's homework when a firm knock sounded on her dresser. Her head shot up toward the sound, heart leaping in her chest. "Damn it, Derek."

He very nearly smirked. "You need to pay more attention."

"I thought I locked that." She looked over at her window. It was closed. She thought for a second. "Scott's window." He nodded. "Scott!"

"What?" he hollered back.

"Get up here!"

"What?" His voice grew closer, and a moment later Scott and Stiles stood in the doorway, gaping. "What—how—"

"_Great _ use of werewolf senses," Crystal mocked, rolling off her bed.

Derek scowled. "Your bedroom window was open."

Scott cursed and disappeared.

"Why are you here?" Stiles asked.

He didn't answer until Crystal looked at him exasperatedly. "I need your help."

She rolled her eyes. Getting a straight answer around here was like pulling teeth. "What do you need us to do?"

"I need you to drive my car around town, keep the cops away from me."

"And the Argents," she finished. As much as she wanted to drive his car, she had a feeling there would be a lot of speeding involved.

"Wait, dude, what? Why are we gonna be driving your car around?" Stiles asked. Fair point.

"I need to talk to somebody," Derek said.

Curious. "Scott has to drive," she said reluctantly.

Scott appeared behind Stiles. "Wait, seriously?"

Stiles jumped with a slight gasp. "Dude, _stop that_!"

Derek's face twisted. "No. I'm only letting Crystal drive."

"And normally I'd take you up on that in a heartbeat, but if the Argents and the cops are gonna be tailing us, I'd rather have someone with superior reflexes at the wheel."

She wasn't a werewolf; she couldn't heal from life threatening wounds as fast as they could. Derek snarled. "I don't want him driving my car."

"Hey—"

Crystal held up a finger. "I'll be in the car. Stiles can get one of his dad's radios so we'll be able to avoid the cops."

Stiles threw his hands in the air. "You know, it would be nice if Stiles was included in this discussion." At Crystal's raised eyebrows, he added, "No problem."

"Thank you." She looked back to Derek.

After a minute, his eyes darkened and he pulled his keys out. "If he gets one scratch on my car—"

"You'll skin me alive, I know. I've heard it before." Scott's ecstatic grin spread across his face.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Scott was cruising through the streets near the school when an SUV sped in their direction, Kate Argent at the wheel.

Crystal cursed. "Floor it!"

Scott didn't have to be told twice. He pressed the gas pedal closer to the floor. The radio in Stiles's hand crackled to life. "Suspect escaping on foot. Repeat, suspect is on foot. We're in pursuit, headed northwest."

"The Ironworks," Crystal said. "That's the only place he can go."

The SUV's engine grew louder. "Faster?" he asked.

Stiles and Crystal looked over their shoulders. Stiles nodded. "Much faster." Scott pressed the pedal a little further down. "Scott, I don't think you truly understand the definition of car chase."

"If I go faster, I'll kill us." If he was lucky, he would die with them. If not, Derek would skin him alive and leave him for the Alpha.

"If they catch us, we're dead anyway!" Crystal protested. She turned around. "Or not. They're gone." Relief flooded him. Crystal leaned forward, anxiety wafting off her. "Get to the Ironworks, now. They know where Derek is."

A minute later, he pulled the car up beside Derek. Crystal threw open the back door. "Derek!"

Derek ran for the car, dodging Argent's bullets. Scott winced but drove off. Derek could deal with the car later.

"I thought you were supposed to be good at avoiding people," Stiles said.

"Damn it, I had him!" Derek smacked the back of Stiles's seat, bouncing him forward slightly.

"Who, the Alpha?"

"The Alpha was there?" Crystal's voice rose.

"Yes," Derek replied to both of them. "He was right in front of me, and then the freaking police just had to show up."

"Hey, they're just doing their jobs."

Scott felt Derek glare at him. "Thanks to someone making me the most wanted fugitive in the entire state."

"Okay," he sighed. "I made a dumbass mistake. Can you just let it go already?"

"Well, at least he admitted it," Crystal muttered. "What is it with you trying to get Derek in jail anyway?"

"How did you find the Alpha?" Stiles asked.

Scott rolled his eyes when Derek remained silent. "Can you try trusting us for maybe half a second?"

"_All _of us, not just Crystal?" Stiles turned in his seat. Scott saw him shrink back. "Or maybe just Crystal. You seem to trust her more."

"Because she's—" Derek stopped talking. Scott glanced in the rearview mirror. Crystal and Derek were having one of their sign language conversations again. Derek finally snarled. "Fine. Last time I talked to Laura, she said she found two things. The first was that there was this guy, Harris."

"Whoa, our chemistry teacher?" Stiles blurted.

Scott was surprised too. How did Harris tie into all of this? "What's so important about him?"

"No idea."

"All right, what was the second thing?" Crystal asked. Paper crinkled. "It's some kind of symbol."

"Let me see." Stiles took the paper from her and held it so Scott could see, too. He barely had to glance at it.

"Damn it."

"What?" Derek asked. "You know what that is?"

"I've seen it before."

"Where?" Crystal leaned in between the seats.

He hit the gas. "Allison's necklace."

Derek pulled Crystal back. "You need to get that necklace."

"I know." It would be a whole lot easier if she was talking to him, though.

* * *

"How the hell did he find out?" Stiles was quietly freaking out. Crystal rushed to catch up to them. Scott saw her out of the corner of his eye.

"I don't know. Hey, Crystal."

Stiles nearly tripped going down the stairs, but Scott grabbed his arm to steady him. Crystal frowned at them. "What's wrong? Who knows?"

"Jackson."

Jackson knew Scott was a werewolf? She cursed mentally several times over.

"Did he actually _say _it?" Stiles tried to clarify.

"Well, no." Crystal sighed, glad something was going right. Scott crushed that train of thought with his next words. "But it was implied."

"Maybe it's not so bad," Stiles said optimistically. "And even if he does, who's gonna believe him?"

"Uh, how about Allison's father?"

"Or her psychotic bitch of an aunt?" Crystal's mind was spinning.

"Okay, it's bad," Stiles conceded.

"Glad you agree," she muttered.

Stiles ignored her. "Does he know about Allison's family?"

Scott shrugged anxiously. "I don't know."

Stiles glanced over his shoulder at her. "Where's Derek?"

Crystal blinked at the subject change. "Hiding. Why?"

"I need to talk to him later. I have an idea, but it's gonna take some time and finesse to pull off."

She narrowed her eyes, wondering what kind of scheme Stiles was cooking up. Scott spoke before she could ask. "But we have a game tonight. Your _first_ game," he reminded Stiles.

Crystal gaped. "Wait, since when is Stiles on first line?"

"Since Coach had to fill some spots after the pinkeye epidemic." Stiles grinned. "I get to _play_."

"I'll be there." She turned to Scott. "Necklace?"

"I'll try to get it next class."

"Do or do not. There is no try."

As she left them, she heard Stiles say, "How come _she_ knows _Star Wars_ and you don't?"

* * *

"—girls are totally psychotic," Scott sighed.

Crystal leaned in right behind him and Stiles. "Well, maybe we wouldn't be psychotic if boys stopped being idiotic douchebags." She grinned madly as they jumped half out of their seats.

"Where were you? You weren't in Chem," Stiles said as she sat down next to him.

She shrugged. "I didn't want to deal with Harris, plus I was talking to Derek." He said he'd meet her at Stiles's house after school.

"Did you tell him I wanted to talk to him?"

She nodded vaguely, taking a bite of spaghetti to hide her smile. She had a feeling she would have to run interference, but she was curious. Stiles's plans were either incredibly brilliant or totally and disastrously moronic.

Stiles nodded. "Plan B then. Just steal the dumb thing."

Scott shook his head. "Can't we at least try to get to Harris?"

"You saw in class today. Dad has him under twenty-four/seven watch. No, the necklace is our best bet."

"Why even come into work then?" Crystal wondered. If she was under guard, she would be at home relaxing.

Stiles shook his head in disbelief. "It's Harris."

Scott stiffened, looking at something over Crystal's shoulder. She turned and saw Jackson leaning against the wall with an apple in his hand. She glared at him. "Ignore him, Scott." She demonstrated by turning her body completely so she wouldn't see him.

Scott's eyes widened fearfully. "He knows I can hear him."

"What?" Stiles raised his head, but Crystal pushed it back down.

"Distract me!" Scott begged.

Stiles flailed. "I can't think of anything."

"What do you mean, you can't think of anything?"

Crystal rose, pulling the boys with her. "Come on." She grabbed her bag and her tray and led the way out of the cafeteria. They were just out the door when Scott's eyes flashed. His hands clenched into fists, bending the metal tray and splattering food in different directions.

"Okay, dude, calm down. You can't let him do this to you."

"Don't let him win, Scott," Crystal snapped, dropping her stuff on the ground. He slid down the wall, and she crouched in front of him while Stiles went back inside to get napkins. "Focus. The most important thing right now is getting the necklace. We do that, we can find out what's so special about it. Then we'll go from there. One step at a time."

Stiles returned with the napkins. Crystal took some and went to clean up the mess.

"He's going to get close to Allison."

"Not gonna happen." Stiles slid next to his friend. "I'm sure Allison has better taste than that. You'll get her back."

"Brotherly bonding aside, you two want to help me clean up this mess?"

They looked at each other and sighed dramatically.

* * *

"Jackson!"

Crystal's ears perked at Lydia's voice. She was rarely upset with her boyfriend. She slowly turned her locker dial, trying to eavesdrop without making it obvious.

"This little text; it's not funny."

"No, I wasn't trying to be funny. If I was, I would have put a 'ha ha' at the end. And there's no 'ha ha'."

Their voices dropped momentarily. Finally Jackson spoke again. "I've decided to drop some of the dead weight in my life, and you're just about the deadest." She winced. Poor Lydia. They rarely spoke, but even the Queen B. didn't deserve to be treated like that.

She quickly grabbed her books and slammed her locker shut, trying to avoid the fallout afterward. She turned to leave just as Lydia shouted, "Seconds, actually. Seconds!"

Her voice betrayed her.

After Finstock's class, Crystal followed Stiles to his house. They hurried up the stairs before his dad could come out from wherever he was.

"You called Derek, right?" Stiles asked as he opened his bedroom door.

"Yeah." She followed him in and smirked at Derek lurking near the closet.

Stiles sat down and turned on his computer. "Well, when—"

"Stiles!" Sheriff Stilinski called.

"Yeah, d—Derek," he said, startled. Derek's finger was halfway to his lips to shush him. Crystal giggled softly and shoved Stiles out the door, shutting it behind him. She could hear them faintly.

"So? What does he want?" Derek breathed.

She shrugged. "No idea," She replied just as quietly. "But I have a feeling I might need to run interference." Plus there was no way she'd miss whatever Stiles was planning.

A second later, Stiles poked his head in. "Hey, Crystal, dad wants to talk to you."

Intrigued, she went to speak with the sheriff. Stiles ducked into his room and closed the door shut behind him. His dad looked at her questioningly. "Is he okay? He's acting a little weird lately."

She laughed. "It's Stiles. He's fine."

He chuckled. "True. Listen, I need to take care of something. Would you mind swinging by the high school about six tonight?"

She frowned. "Why?"

He let out a gust of breath, choosing his words delicately. "I may have found someone who saw the woman who burned the Hale house."

"Oh," she said faintly. She knew who did it. So why wasn't she telling the sheriff? It was like some part of her didn't want him involved. "I'll be there."

"I'll be outside the front doors. See you at six."

She nodded dumbly until he was gone. She opened the door and made a beeline for the bed, sprawling across it.

"What did he want?" Stiles asked.

"I need to meet him at the school tonight."

He shoved his chair back and stood over her. "You okay?"

"No," she admitted. "I should have told your dad about Kate ages ago." Why hadn't she?

"Good," Derek said. "We don't need cops getting involved."

It wasn't that. Her reasoning was darker. It was almost as if…she wanted to take out Kate Argent herself. Her fingers idly traced a pattern on the bed sheets.

Danny arrived just after four.

"Hey, Danny. I need you to trace a text."

Both Danny and Crystal blinked. "Wait, what's going on?"

_Stiles thinks we can trace Allison's text from the other night,_ Derek signed from his spot on the edge of the bed.

It took a minute for her to think.

"You want me to do _what_?" Danny asked.

"Trace a text," Stiles repeated.

_The text supposedly from Scott the night the Alpha locked them in the school?_ She signed. Derek nodded. _Smart._

"I came here to do lab work; that's what lab partners do."

"Please, Danny?" Crystal pouted slightly, even though she knew that wouldn't work. It hit her then. She quickly looked between the three males, sending Stiles a silent message. Derek was going to _throttle_ him.

"What makes you think I even know how?"

Crystal wasn't surprised when Stiles admitted to looking up Danny's arrest record. Was anything off limits for him? She was surprised to hear Danny had only been thirteen at the time, though.

"We're doing lab work," Danny declared firmly, dragging the spare chair next to Stiles's desk. Crystal lay down on the bed, reading the book on Derek's lap over his arm. It looked like it was a book on the different types of edible plants.

Crystal smirked shamelessly when Danny asked, "Who's he again?"

"Uh, that's my cousin. Miguel."

Derek looked over at Stiles darkly. She would enjoy this.

"Is that blood on his shirt?"

Crystal looked. Sure enough, there were a couple of blood spots. She glared at him. "What the hell," she mouthed.

"He—he gets these awful nosebleeds every once in a while. Hey, Miguel." Stiles turned his upper body around. "I thought I said you could borrow one of my shirts."

Still angry about the blood, Crystal smiled widely when Derek slammed the book shut and went over to the drawer, yanking off his shirt. She had to admit, he was well-toned.

"We both know you have the skills to trace the t—"

"Stiles," Derek snapped.

"Yes?"

"This." Derek yanked on the shirt in his hands. "No fit."

"Then try something else on." Stiles turned back to Danny. Crystal's eyes flickered over to the teen. He was watching Derek's muscles flex. _So_ worth the trouble Stiles would get in later. "Hey, that one looks pretty good."

She choked when she looked over at Derek again. He was wearing a rusted orange and blue striped shirt. His hair stuck up like someone had just run their fingers through it, and he had a fierce scowl on his face. As subtly as possible, she pulled out her phone, took a photo, and sent it to her email. "Didn't I get you that as a gag gift for Christmas?"

Gag gifts were the best.

"It's not really his color," Danny provided before Derek could rip somebody's arms off. Immediately the shirt was off. Derek hurled it at her head. She shook with silent laughter and stood on Danny's other side.

"You swing for a different team but you still play ball, don't you, Danny boy?" Stiles leaned back in his chair.

Danny looked between the two of them. "You are horrible people."

"Tell me something I don't know," she whispered as Stiles replied, "I know. It keeps me awake at night."

"About the text," Crystal started.

"Stiles!" Derek growled. They all looked over at a shirtless Derek holding up a balled shirt. "None of these fit."

Crystal didn't bother to hide her soft snicker.

"I need the ISP, the phone number, and the exact time of the text," Danny rattled off immediately. Stiles wrote the information down. Crystal kissed Danny on the cheek and went to fetch one of the sheriff's shirts, dragging Derek behind her so he wouldn't kill Stiles.

"What the hell," he hissed as soon as they were out of the room. "Were you in on this?"

She laughed. "I didn't help plan it, but did you see me trying to stop it? Oh, that was too good."

Derek's fangs flashed. "I am going to kill him."

"Not unless you want pictures of you in that shirt all over town," she immediately retorted. He glared at her, sending shivers down her spine. She raised her eyebrows, trying to play it off. "What? I grew up around Peter, Cora, Laura, and you; did you honestly expect me not to pick up a few tricks?"

* * *

**Another chapter complete. :D See you next time!  
**


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